Intra-annual variation of root-associated fungi of Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica: The role of climate and implications for host phenology

• Published in: Applied soil ecology : a section of Agriculture, ecosystems & environment ecosystems & environment, 2022-08, Vol.176, p.104480, Article 104480
• Main Authors: Zhao, Pei-shan, Gao, Guang-lei, Ren, Yue, Ding, Guo-dong, Zhang, Ying, Wang, Jia-yuan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Climate; Fungal function; Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica; Temporal variations; The Mu Us Desert
• ISSN: 0929-1393; 1873-0272
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsoil.2022.104480

Root-associated fungi (RAF) influence plant growth and maintain multiple ecosystem functions. However, the relationship between the temporal dynamics of RAF communities and climate conditions and host phenology are less clear, especially in desert ecosystems. Therefore, intra-annual patterns of RAF can reveal their influence on Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, an important sand control species. We sampled the roots of P. sylvestris of three age groups (27, 33, and 44 years) from April to September in the Mu Us Desert. Subsequently, taxonomic and functional groups of the RAF were identified using Illumina amplicon sequencing and the FUNGuild platform, respectively. The results indicated that (1) the alpha diversity indices were significantly different among sampling months but not among stand ages; the richness of symbiotrophic fungi was higher than that of saprotrophic fungi or pathotrophic fungi. (2) The major functional guilds were identified as ectomycorrhizal (especially Rhizopogon, Geopora, Russula, and Amphinema) and undefined saprotrophs. The monthly differences in RAF were mainly affected by climate factors, especially mean temperature and precipitation. (3) There were highly connected and low modularized networks in July and August, and the topological alterations across stand age did not fluctuate. The keystone genera that potentially to provide ecological functions showed dynamic changes in the P. sylvestris plantation. The determinants of temporal variations in RAF communities on an intra-annual scale in desert environments were climate conditions and host phenology, which showed that during the main growing season of the host when the relatively high temperatures and humidity were high, there were higher levels of fungal diversity, more diverse community composition and a more complex fungal co-occurrence network. These results highlight the importance of interactions between community functions of RAF and forest growth and health. •The intra-annual pattern of RAF is critical to counteract P. sylvestris degradation.•Seasonal variations were more significant than variations caused by stand age.•Plant phenological characteristics and climate were the main factors affecting RAF.•The fungal co-occurrence network was more unstable in the main growing season.•The function of RAF communities affects forest growth and health.