Altitudinal Gradients in Mycorrhizal Symbioses

Geml, József

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-56363-3_5

“…, Looby et al. , Geml ). For example, along other elevation gradients, the presence of EM and endophytic fungal hosts explained correlations in plant and fungal β‐diversity (Geml et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stronger coupling between the α‐diversity of plants and bacteria may indicate stronger biotic interactions between plants and bacteria compared to plants and fungi, although controlled experiments are required to understand the nature of these interactions (for example, the interaction between litter chemistry and microbial communities). The stronger coupling between the β‐diversity of plants and fungi can be explained by coordinated shifts in the presence of obligate plant hosts among sites for symbiotic fungi (Geml ); which can also explain the absence of a clear elevation pattern in fungal α‐diversity in organic soil horizons (Fig. ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Elevation gradients can also help us to understand the influence of temperature on the diversity and functional attributes of soil microbial communities and their role in soil organic matter cycling (Bryant et al. , Geml ). However, such studies have not shown the strong elevation‐related pattern of diversity almost universally observed for plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…). Similarly, contrasting patterns have been found in studies of fungal richness, which have generally targeted specific groups that vary in their elevation relationship by functional type and plant‐host specificity (reviewed in Geml , Kivlin et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Plant and fungal α‐diversity were positively related across a global latitudinal gradient (Tedersoo et al. ) and detailed relationships have been shown for specific groups of fungi (Geml , Kivlin et al. ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Microbes follow Humboldt: temperature drives plant and soil microbial diversity patterns from the Amazon to the Andes

Nottingham

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Fierer

²

,

Turner

³

et al. 2018

Ecology

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More than 200 years ago, Alexander von Humboldt reported that tropical plant species richness decreased with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. Surprisingly, coordinated patterns in plant, bacterial, and fungal diversity on tropical mountains have not yet been observed, despite the central role of soil microorganisms in terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecology. We studied an Andean transect traversing 3.5 km in elevation to test whether the species diversity and composition of tropical forest plants, soil bacteria, and fungi follow similar biogeographical patterns with shared environmental drivers. We found coordinated changes with elevation in all three groups: species richness declined as elevation increased, and the compositional dissimilarity among communities increased with increased separation in elevation, although changes in plant diversity were larger than in bacteria and fungi. Temperature was the dominant driver of these diversity gradients, with weak influences of edaphic properties, including soil pH. The gradients in microbial diversity were strongly correlated with the activities of enzymes involved in organic matter cycling, and were accompanied by a transition in microbial traits towards slower-growing, oligotrophic taxa at higher elevations. We provide the first evidence of coordinated temperature-driven patterns in the diversity and distribution of three major biotic groups in tropical ecosystems: soil bacteria, fungi, and plants. These findings suggest that interrelated and fundamental patterns of plant and microbial communities with shared environmental drivers occur across landscape scales. These patterns are revealed where soil pH is relatively constant, and have implications for tropical forest communities under future climate change.

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Microbes Follow Humboldt: Temperature Drives Plant and Soil Microbial Diversity Patterns from the Amazon to the Andes

Nottingham¹,

Fierer²,

Turner³

et al. 2019

Bulletin Ecologic Soc America

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

More than 200 years ago, Alexander von Humboldt reported that tropical plant species richness decreased with increasing elevation and decreasing temperature. Surprisingly, coordinated patterns in plant, bacterial, and fungal diversity on tropical mountains have not yet been observed, despite the central role of soil microorganisms in terrestrial biogeochemistry and ecology. We studied an Andean transect traversing 3.5 km in elevation to test whether the species diversity and composition of tropical forest plants, soil bacteria, and fungi follow similar biogeographical patterns with shared environmental drivers. We found coordinated changes with elevation in all three groups: species richness declined as elevation increased, and the compositional dissimilarity among communities increased with increased separation in elevation, although changes in plant diversity were larger than in bacteria and fungi. Temperature was the dominant driver of these diversity gradients, with weak influences of edaphic properties, including soil pH. The gradients in microbial diversity were strongly correlated with the activities of enzymes involved in organic matter cycling, and were accompanied by a transition in microbial traits towards slower-growing, oligotrophic taxa at higher elevations. We provide the first evidence of coordinated temperature-driven patterns in the diversity and distribution of three major biotic groups in tropical ecosystems: soil bacteria, fungi, and plants. These findings suggest that interrelated and fundamental patterns of plant and microbial communities with shared environmental drivers occur across landscape scales. These patterns are revealed where soil pH is relatively constant, and have implications for tropical forest communities under future climate change.

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Mycorrhizal fungi as critical biotic filters for tree seedling establishment during species range expansions

Tourville,

Horton,

Dovciak

2024

Ecological Monographs

0

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Global warming has been shifting climatic envelopes of many tree species to higher latitudes and elevations across the globe; however, unsuitable soil biota may inhibit tree migrations into these areas of suitable climate. Specifically, the role of mycorrhizal fungi in facilitating tree seedling establishment beyond natural species range limits has not been fully explored within forest ecosystems. We used three experiments to isolate and quantify the effects of mycorrhizal colonization and common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) on tree seedling survival and growth across (within and beyond) the elevational ranges of two dominant tree species in northeastern North America, which were associated with either arbuscular mycorrhiza (AMF, Acer saccharum) or ectomycorrhiza (EMF, Fagus grandifolia). In order to quantify the influence of mycorrhiza on seedling establishment independent of soil chemistry and climate, we grew seedlings in soils from within and beyond our study species ranges in a greenhouse experiment (GE) as well as in the field using a soil translocation experiment (STE) and another field experiment manipulating seedling connections to potential CMNs (CMNE). Root length colonized, seedling survival and growth, foliar nutrients, and the presence of potential root pathogens were examined as metrics influencing plant performance across species' ranges. Mycorrhizal inoculum from within species ranges, but not from outside, increased seedling survival and growth in a greenhouse setting; however, only seedling survival, and not growth, was significantly improved in field studies. Sustained potential connectivity to AMF networks increased seedling survival across the entire elevational range of A. saccharum. Although seedlings disconnected from a potential CMN did not suffer decreased foliar nutrient levels compared with connected seedlings, disconnected AM seedlings, but not EM seedlings, had significantly higher aluminum concentrations and more potential pathogens present. Our results indicate that mycorrhizal fungi may facilitate tree seedling establishment beyond species range boundaries in this forested ecosystem and that the magnitude of this effect is modulated by the dominant mycorrhizal type present (i.e., AM vs. EM). Thus, despite changing climate conditions beyond species ranges, a lack of suitable mutualists can still limit successful seedling establishment and stall adaptive climate‐induced shifts in tree species distributions.

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Altitudinal Gradients in Mycorrhizal Symbioses

Cited by 32 publications

References 95 publications

Microbes follow Humboldt: temperature drives plant and soil microbial diversity patterns from the Amazon to the Andes

Microbes follow Humboldt: temperature drives plant and soil microbial diversity patterns from the Amazon to the Andes

Microbes Follow Humboldt: Temperature Drives Plant and Soil Microbial Diversity Patterns from the Amazon to the Andes

Mycorrhizal fungi as critical biotic filters for tree seedling establishment during species range expansions

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