Relationships Between Fungal and Plant Communities Differ Between Desert and Grassland in a Typical Dryland Region of Northwest China

Abstract

The relationships between soil fungal and plant communities in the dryland have been well documented, yet the associated difference in relationships between soil fungal and plant communities among different habitats remains unclear. Here, we explored the relationships between plant and fungal functional communities, and the dominant factors of these fungal communities in the desert and grassland. Soil fungal functional communities were assessed based on fungal ITS sequence data which were obtained from our previous study. The results showed that the total, saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungal richness were predominantly determined by plant species richness and/or soil nutrients in the desert, but by MAP or soil CN in the grassland. AM fungal richness was only significantly related to soil nutrients in two habitats. The total and saprotrophic fungal species compositions were mainly shaped by abiotic and spatial factors in the desert, but by plant and abiotic factors in the grassland. Pathotrophic fungal species composition was more strongly correlated with plant and spatial factors in the desert, but with spatial and abiotic factors in the grassland. AM fungal species composition was more strongly correlated with MAP in the grassland, but with no factors in the desert. These results provide robust evidence that the relationships between soil fungal and plant communities, and the drivers of soil fungal communities differ between the desert and grassland. Furthermore, we highlight that the linkages between soil fungal and plant communities, and the drivers of soil fungal communities may also be affected by fungal traits (e.g., functional groups).

Indoor Microbiome: Quantification of Exposure and Association with Geographical Location, Meteorological Factors, and Land Use in France

“…In surface ecosystems, biotic and/or abiotic properties of the soil and land use, including type of vegetation cover, modify the diversity of communities to varying degrees [14,[22][23][24][25][26]. Meteorological factors, such as temperature, relative humidity, and precipitation, have also been said to influence sporulation and the dispersion of fungi [27].…”

Adaptive zinc tolerance is supported by extensive gene multiplication and differences in cis-regulation of a CDF transporter in an ectomycorrhizal fungus

“…Bradford et al, 2019; Franklin et al, 2016; Fernandez et al, 2016, Kyaschenko et al, 2017). Climate parameters and edaphic factors influence relative abundances and species composition of plant and microbial communities (Castaño et al, 2018; Op De Beeck et al, 2015; Wang et al, 2018). Hostile environments challenge species and survival requires contemporary local adaptation.…”

Relationships between macro-fungal dark diversity and habitat parameters using LiDAR

“…The most important field-measured variable for modelling fungal dark diversity was plant species richness which was negatively related to dark diversity in both open habitats and woodlands. Plant richness and composition are well-known to correlate with fungal richness and composition (Zak et al 2003, Chen et al 2017, Yang et al 2017, Brunbjerg et al 2018, Wang et al 2018), and sites with lower plant species richness have previously been found to have a relatively higher proportion of plants in the dark diversity (Fløjgaard et al 2020). Here, the negative relation between plant richness and fungal dark diversity may be attributed to greater plant richness frequently associated with more stable communities and ecosystems (Kuiters 2013, Pellkofer et al 2016, Yang et al 2018), which could indicate longer continuity and hence time for fungi to establish.…”