Abstract
Aboveground plant performance is strongly influenced by belowground microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic and have negative effects, while others, such as nitrogen-fixing bacteria and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, usually have positive effects. Recent research revealed that belowground interactions between plants and functionally distinct groups of microorganisms cascade up to aboveground plant associates such as herbivores and their natural enemies. However, while functionally distinct belowground microorganisms commonly co-occur in the rhizosphere, their combined effects, and relative contributions, respectively, on performance of aboveground plant-associated organisms are virtually unexplored. Here, we scrutinized and disentangled the effects of free-living nitrogen-fixing (diazotrophic) bacteria Azotobacter chroococcum (DB) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Glomus mosseae (AMF) on host plant choice and reproduction of the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris. Additionally, we assessed plant growth, and AMF and DB occurrence and density as affected by each other. Both AMF alone and DB alone increased spider mite reproduction to similar levels, as compared to the control, and exerted additive effects under co-occurrence. These effects were similarly apparent in host plant choice, that is, the mites preferred leaves from plants with both AMF and DB to plants with AMF or DB to plants grown without AMF and DB. DB, which also act as AMF helper bacteria, enhanced root colonization by AMF, whereas AMF did not affect DB abundance. AMF but not DB increased growth of reproductive plant tissue and seed production, respectively. Both AMF and DB increased the biomass of vegetative aboveground plant tissue. Our study breaks new ground in multitrophic belowground-aboveground research by providing first insights into the fitness implications of plant-mediated interactions between interrelated belowground fungi-bacteria and aboveground herbivores.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
AMF alone increased spider mite reproduction relative to control.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticae
.jpg?width=60)
Tetranychus urticaee1 - Treatment
- AMF alonee0
- Interactor
- Phaseolus vulgaris
Phaseolus vulgarise1host - Second interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- spider mite reproductione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Both AMF alone and DB alone increased spider mite reproduction to similar levels, as compared to the control, and exerted additive effects under co-occurrence.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
DB alone increased spider mite reproduction to levels similar to AMF alone, compared with control.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticaee1
- Treatment
- DB alonee0
- Interactor
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1host
- Second interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- spider mite reproductione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- similar levelse0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AMF alone and DB alone increased spider mite reproduction to similar levels, as compared to the control, and exerted additive effects under co-occurrence.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF and DB together exerted additive effects on spider mite reproduction.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticaee1
- Treatment
- co-occurrencee0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Second interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- spider mite reproductione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- additive effectse0
- Comparator
- AMF alone and DB alonee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AMF alone and DB alone increased spider mite reproduction to similar levels, as compared to the control, and exerted additive effects under co-occurrence.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Mites preferred leaves of plants with both AMF and DB over plants with either alone.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticaee1
- Treatment
- both AMF and DBe0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Second interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- host plant choicee0
- Direction
- preferrede0
- Comparator
- AMF or DBe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These effects were similarly apparent in host plant choice, that is, the mites preferred leaves from plants with both AMF and DB to plants with AMF or DB to plants grown without AMF and DB.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Mites preferred plants with AMF over plants without AMF and DB.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticaee1
- Treatment
- AMFe0
- Interactor
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1host
- Second interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- host plant choicee0
- Direction
- preferrede0
- Comparator
- plants grown without AMF and DBe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These effects were similarly apparent in host plant choice, that is, the mites preferred leaves from plants with both AMF and DB to plants with AMF or DB to plants grown without AMF and DB.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
Mites preferred plants with DB over plants without AMF and DB.
- Taxon
- Tetranychus urticaeTetranychus urticaee1
- Treatment
- DBe0
- Interactor
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1host
- Second interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- host plant choicee0
- Direction
- preferrede0
- Comparator
- plants grown without AMF and DBe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These effects were similarly apparent in host plant choice, that is, the mites preferred leaves from plants with both AMF and DB to plants with AMF or DB to plants grown without AMF and DB.”
e1“the herbivorous two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae on common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
DB enhanced root colonization by AMF.
- Taxon
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1
- Treatment
- DBe0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Second interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- root colonization by AMFe0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“DB, which also act as AMF helper bacteria, enhanced root colonization by AMF, whereas AMF did not affect DB abundance.”
e1“common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF did not affect DB abundance.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“DB, which also act as AMF helper bacteria, enhanced root colonization by AMF, whereas AMF did not affect DB abundance.”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF increased growth of reproductive bean tissue and seed production.
- Taxon
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1
- Treatment
- AMFe0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- growth of reproductive plant tissue and seed productione0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF but not DB increased growth of reproductive plant tissue and seed production, respectively.”
e1“common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
DB did not increase reproductive bean tissue growth or seed production.
- Taxon
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1
- Treatment
- DBe0
- Interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- growth of reproductive plant tissue and seed productione0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“AMF but not DB increased growth of reproductive plant tissue and seed production, respectively.”
e1“common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
AMF increased vegetative aboveground bean biomass.
- Taxon
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1
- Treatment
- AMFe0
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- biomass of vegetative aboveground plant tissuee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AMF and DB increased the biomass of vegetative aboveground plant tissue.”
e1“common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
Claim · model-written summary
DB increased vegetative aboveground bean biomass.
- Taxon
- Phaseolus vulgarisPhaseolus vulgarise1
- Treatment
- DBe0
- Interactor
- DBe0symbiont
- Outcome
- biomass of vegetative aboveground plant tissuee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Both AMF and DB increased the biomass of vegetative aboveground plant tissue.”
e1“common bean plants Phaseolus vulgaris”
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