Symbiont plasticity as a driver of plant success

Abstract

SummaryWe discuss which plant species are likely to become winners, that is achieve the highest global abundance, in changing landscapes, and whether plant‐associated microbes play a determining role. Reduction and fragmentation of natural habitats in historic landscapes have led to the emergence of patchy, hybrid landscapes, and novel landscapes where anthropogenic ecosystems prevail. In patchy landscapes, species with broad niches are favoured. Plasticity in the degree of association with symbiotic microbes may contribute to broader plant niches and optimization of symbiosis costs and benefits, by downregulating symbiosis when it is unnecessary and upregulating it when it is beneficial. Plasticity can also be expressed as the switch from one type of mutualism to another, for example from nutritive to defensive mutualism with increasing soil fertility and the associated increase in parasite load. Upon dispersal, wide mutualistic partner receptivity is another facet of symbiont plasticity that becomes beneficial, because plants are not limited by the availability of specialist partners when arriving at new locations. Thus, under conditions of global change, symbiont plasticity allows plants to optimize the activity of mutualistic relationships, potentially allowing them to become winners by maximizing geographic occupancy and local abundance.

Comparative analysis of mycorrhizal communities associated with Struthiopteris spicant (L.) Weiss across Europe and North America

“…Facultative mycorrhizal (FM) plants have the ability to regulate the association with AMF based on their needs and the current environmental conditions ( Brundrett, 2009 ; Neuenkamp et al., 2021 ). This plasticity allows them to optimize their energetic investments depending on the functionality of the symbiosis, e.g., suppressing and preventing colonization when light is limited ( Zobel et al., 2024 ). Ferns may have developed this strategy to expand into new areas without suitable fungal partners ( Brundrett and Tedersoo, 2020 ; Moyano et al., 2020 ; Guillen-Otero et al., 2024 ; Zobel et al., 2024 ).…”

“…This plasticity allows them to optimize their energetic investments depending on the functionality of the symbiosis, e.g., suppressing and preventing colonization when light is limited ( Zobel et al., 2024 ). Ferns may have developed this strategy to expand into new areas without suitable fungal partners ( Brundrett and Tedersoo, 2020 ; Moyano et al., 2020 ; Guillen-Otero et al., 2024 ; Zobel et al., 2024 ).…”

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“…Facultative mycorrhizal (FM) plants have the ability to regulate the association with AMF based on their needs and the current environmental conditions (Brundrett, 2009;Neuenkamp et al, 2021). This plasticity allows them to optimize their energetic investments depending on the functionality of the symbiosis, e.g., suppressing and preventing colonization when light is limited (Zobel et al, 2024). Ferns may have developed this strategy to expand into new areas without suitable fungal partners (Brundrett and Tedersoo, 2020;Moyano et al, 2020;Guillen-Otero et al, 2024;Zobel et al, 2024).…”

“…This plasticity allows them to optimize their energetic investments depending on the functionality of the symbiosis, e.g., suppressing and preventing colonization when light is limited (Zobel et al, 2024). Ferns may have developed this strategy to expand into new areas without suitable fungal partners (Brundrett and Tedersoo, 2020;Moyano et al, 2020;Guillen-Otero et al, 2024;Zobel et al, 2024).…”