title: Multi-element fingerprinting and high throughput sequencing identify multiple elements that affect fungal communities in Quercus macrocarpa foliage.
abstract: Diverse fungal mutualists, pathogens and saprobes colonize plant leaves. These fungi face a complex environment, in which stochastic dispersal interplays with abiotic and biotic filters. However, identification of the specific factors that drive the community assembly seems unattainable. We mined two broad data sets and identified chemical elements, to which dominant molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in the foliage of a native tree respond most extremely. While many associations could be identified, potential complicating issues emerged. Those were related to unevenly distributed OTU frequency data, a large number of potentially explanatory variables, and the disproportionate effects of outlier observations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA. ari@k-state.edu
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jumpponen
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Keating
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gadbury
authors.forename: Kenneth L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: J David
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Mattox
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D057225:Data Mining; D016208:Databases, Factual; D017753:Ecosystem; D004602:Elements; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000382:microbiology*; D029963:Quercus / Q000382:microbiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D014197:Trees / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004602:Elements