Abstract
Differences between arbuscular (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (EcM) trees strongly influence forest ecosystem processes, in part through their impact on saprotrophic fungal communities. Ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) shrubs likely also impact saprotrophic communities given that they can shape nutrient cycling by slowing decomposition rates and intensifying nitrogen limitation. We investigated the depth distributions of saprotrophic and EcM fungal communities in paired subplots with and without a common understory ErM shrub, mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia L.), across an AM to EcM tree dominance gradient in a temperate forest by analyzing soils from the organic, upper mineral (0-10 cm), and lower mineral (cumulative depth of 30 cm) horizons. The presence of K. latifolia was strongly associated with the taxonomic and functional composition of saprotrophic and EcM communities. Saprotrophic richness was consistently lower in the Oa horizon when this ErM shrub species was present. However, in AM tree-dominated plots, the presence of the ErM shrub was associated with a higher relative abundance of saprotrophs. Given that EcM trees suppress both the diversity and relative abundance of saprotrophic communities, our results suggest that separate consideration of ErM shrubs and EcM trees may be necessary when assessing the impacts of plant mycorrhizal associations on belowground communities.
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Claims 4
Claim · model-written summary
Mountain laurel presence was associated with saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal community composition.
- Taxon
- K. latifolia
Kalmia latifoliae0 - Interactor
- saprotrophic and EcM communitiese0symbiont
- Outcome
- taxonomic and functional composition of saprotrophic and EcM communitiese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The presence of K. latifolia was strongly associated with the taxonomic and functional composition of saprotrophic and EcM communities.”
Claim · model-written summary
Saprotrophic richness in the Oa horizon was lower where the shrub was present.
- Taxon
- Kalmia latifolia L.Kalmia latifoliae1
- Interactor
- saprotrophice0symbiont
- Outcome
- Saprotrophic richnesse0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Setting
- Oa horizone0
Not reportedOrgan / stage
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Saprotrophic richness was consistently lower in the Oa horizon when this ErM shrub species was present.”
e1“Kalmia latifolia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
In AM tree dominated plots, shrub presence was associated with higher relative saprotroph abundance.
- Taxon
- Kalmia latifolia L.Kalmia latifoliae1
- Interactor
- saprotrophse0symbiont
- Outcome
- relative abundance of saprotrophse0
- Direction
- highere0
- Setting
- AM tree-dominated plotse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in AM tree-dominated plots, the presence of the ErM shrub was associated with a higher relative abundance of saprotrophs.”
e1“Kalmia latifolia L.”
Claim · model-written summary
EcM trees suppressed saprotrophic community diversity and relative abundance.
Verbatim
e0“EcM trees suppress both the diversity and relative abundance of saprotrophic communities”