Abstract
Recent meta-analyses of fungal diversity using deeply sequenced marker genes suggest that most fungal taxa are locally distributed. However, little is known about the extent of overlap and niche partitions in total fungal communities or functional guilds within distinct habitats on a local forest scale. Here, we compared fungal communities in endosphere (leaf interior), phyllosphere (leaf interior and associated surface area) and soil samples from an Erman's birch forest in Changbai Mountain, China. Community structures were significantly differentiated in terms of habitat, with soil having the highest fungal richness and phylogenetic diversity. Endophytic and phyllosphere fungi of Betula ermanii were more phylogenetically clustered compared with the corresponding soil fungi, indicating the ability of that host plants to filter and select their fungal partners. Furthermore, the majority of soil fungal taxa were soil specialists, while the dominant endosphere and phyllosphere taxa were aboveground generalists, with soil and plant foliage only sharing <8.2% fungal taxa. Most of the fungal taxa could be assigned to different functional guilds; however, the assigned guilds showed significant habitat specificity with variation in relative abundance. Collectively, the fungal assemblages in this Erman's birch forest were strictly niche specialized and constrained by weak migration among habitats. The findings suggest that phylogenetic relatedness and functional guilds' assignment can effectively interpret the certain ecological processes.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal community structures differed significantly by habitat.
Verbatim
e0“Community structures were significantly differentiated in terms of habitat”
e1“soil having the highest fungal richness and phylogenetic diversity”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil had the highest fungal richness and phylogenetic diversity.
Verbatim
e0“soil having the highest fungal richness and phylogenetic diversity”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Endophytic and phyllosphere fungi of Betula ermanii were more phylogenetically clustered than soil fungi.
- Taxon
- Betula ermanii
.jpg?width=60)
Betula ermaniie0 - Outcome
- Endophytic and phyllosphere fungie0
- Direction
- more phylogenetically clusterede0
- Comparator
- corresponding soil fungie0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“Endophytic and phyllosphere fungi of Betula ermanii were more phylogenetically clustered compared with the corresponding soil fungi”
Claim · model-written summary
Most soil fungal taxa were soil specialists.
Verbatim
e0“the majority of soil fungal taxa were soil specialists”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Dominant endosphere and phyllosphere taxa were aboveground generalists.
Verbatim
e0“the dominant endosphere and phyllosphere taxa were aboveground generalists”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil and plant foliage shared less than 8.2% of fungal taxa.
Verbatim
e0“soil and plant foliage only sharing <8.2% fungal taxa”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Assigned fungal guilds showed significant habitat specificity and variation in relative abundance.
Verbatim
e0“assigned guilds showed significant habitat specificity with variation in relative abundance”
t0“Erman’s Birch”
Claim · model-written summary
Fungal assemblages in this birch forest were niche specialized and constrained by weak migration.
- Taxon
- Erman's birchBetula ermaniie0
- Outcome
- strictly niche specialized and constrained by weak migration among habitatse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“fungal assemblages in this Erman's birch forest were strictly niche specialized and constrained by weak migration among habitats”