Intraspecific plant interaction affects arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species richness

• Published in: Plant and soil 2022, Vol.470 (1-2), p.141-152
• Main Authors: Zhang, Qian, Koide, Roger T., Liu, Junxiang, Li, Zhenjian, Sun, Zhenyuan, Sun, Qixiang, Yang, Haishui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Alfalfa; Allelopathy; Analysis; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Community structure; Competition; Ecology; Flowers & plants; Fungi; Growth; Host plants; Hypotheses; Influence; Life Sciences; Methods; Mycorrhizas; Plant communities; Plant diversity; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant-soil relationships; Regular Article; Reinforcement; Roots; Soil Science & Conservation; Species richness; Symbiosis
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-021-04962-5

Aims It is well established that mycorrhizal symbiosis can affect plant-plant interactions. On the other hand, how intraspecific plant interactions influence communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is still very poorly understood. Methods We applied 454 pyrosequencing to determine the responses of AMF communities to intraspecific shoot and root interactions using Medicago sativa L. as host plant. Results We found that intraspecific plant interaction caused significant variation in the structure of the AMF community assessed from roots but not from soil. Intraspecific root system interaction resulted in significantly elevated AMF species richness, greater total mycorrhizal and arbuscular colonization, and a larger root:shoot ratio compared to plants experiencing intraspecific shoot interaction or no interaction. Intraspecific shoot interaction resulted in significantly depressed AMF species richness. Conclusions Our results support two hypotheses. The first is that increased AMF species richness in plants experiencing intraspecific root interaction originates from competitive release provided by high root density. The second is that shoot interaction leads to reduced allocation to root systems, increasing the stringency with which host plants selectively reward the most cooperative fungi. Because intraspecific interactions among host plants can influence the structure of their AMF community, interactions among species in complex plant communities may influence AMF community structure in addition to a plant diversity effect.