Large-scale insect outbreak homogenizes the spatial structure of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities

PeerJ

article

Gregory J. Pec¹  James F. Cahill² 

[1] Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire;Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta

关键词: Biotic disturbance;    Community structure;    Dendroctonus ponderosae;    Pinus contorta;    Ion torrent;    Ectomycorrhizal fungi;    Semivariograms;   

DOI  :  10.7717/peerj.6895

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Inra

【 摘 要 】

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.

【 授权许可】

CC BY