Abstract
Ectomycorrhizal fungi (plant symbionts) are diverse and exist within spatially variable communities that play fundamental roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the underlying ecological mechanisms that maintain and regulate the spatial structuring of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities are both complex and remain poorly understood. Here, we use a gradient of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) induced tree mortality across eleven stands in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada to investigate: (i) the degree to which spatial structure varies within this fungal group, and (ii) how these patterns may be driven by the relative importance of tree mortality from changes in understory plant diversity, productivity and fine root biomass following tree death. We found that the homogeneity of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community increased with increasing tree death, aboveground understory productivity and diversity. Whereas, the independent effect of fine root biomass, which declined along the same gradient of tree mortality, increased the heterogeneity of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community. Together, our results demonstrate that large-scale biotic disturbance homogenizes the spatial patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities.
Highlights
The spatial structure of ecological communities can arise from both deterministic and neutral processes (Peres-Neto & Legendre, 2010)
Our objectives were to determine: (i) the degree to which spatial structure varies within this fungal group, and (ii) how these patterns may be driven by the relative importance of tree mortality from changes in understory plant diversity, productivity and fine root biomass following tree death
4,751,190 sequences (31%) representing a total of 121 EM fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified, with 115 OTUs belonging to the Basidiomycota (4,704,955 sequences (99% of the relative sequence adundance)) and six OTUs belonging to the Ascomycota (46,235 sequences (1% of relative sequence abundance)) (Table S2)
Summary
The spatial structure of ecological communities can arise from both deterministic and neutral processes (Peres-Neto & Legendre, 2010). Differences in the spatial patterning of ecological communities may reflect the importance of neutral processes such as dispersal limitation (Lekberg et al, 2007), priority effects or chance events (Fukami, 2015). The roles of both these processes individually or in combination can influence the spatial patterning of ecological communities (Chase & Myers, 2011; Soininen, 2016), which can lead to changes in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, such as in aboveground plant productivity and regeneration
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