title: A mutualistic endophyte alters the niche dimensions of its host plant.
abstract: Mutualisms can play important roles in influencing species coexistence and determining community composition. However, few studies have tested whether such interactions can affect species distributions by altering the niches of partner species. In subalpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains, USA, we explored whether the presence of a fungal endophyte (genus Epichloë) may shift the niche of its partner plant, marsh bluegrass (Poa leptocoma) relative to a closely related but endophyte-free grass species, nodding bluegrass (Poa reflexa). Using observations and a 3-year field experiment, we tested two questions: (i) Do P. leptocoma and P. reflexa occupy different ecological niches? and (ii) Does endophyte presence affect the relative fitness of P. leptocoma versus P. reflexa in the putative niches of these grass species? The two species were less likely to co-occur than expected by chance. Specifically, P. leptocoma grew closer to water sources and in wetter soils than P. reflexa, and also had higher root colonization by mycorrhizal fungi. Endophyte-symbiotic P. leptocoma seeds germinated with greater frequency in P. leptocoma niches relative to P. reflexa niches, whereas neither endophyte-free (experimentally removed) P. leptocoma seeds nor P. reflexa seeds showed differential germination between the two niche types. Thus, endophyte presence constrained the germination and early survival of host plants to microsites occupied by P. leptocoma. However, endophyte-symbiotic P. leptocoma ultimately showed greater growth than endophyte-free plants across all microsites, indicating a net benefit of the symbiosis at this life history stage. Differential effects of endophyte symbiosis on different host life history stages may thus contribute to niche partitioning between the two congeneric plant species. Our study therefore identifies a symbiotic relationship as a potential mechanism facilitating the coexistence of two species, suggesting that symbiont effects on host niche may have community-level consequences.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA mkazenel@unm.edu.
authors.forename: Melanie R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kazenel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Debban
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA Division of Science and Mathematics, University of Minnesota, Morris, Morris, MN 56267, USA.
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ranelli
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA.
authors.forename: Will Q
authors.initials: WQ
authors.lastname: Hendricks
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
authors.forename: Y Anny
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Pendergast
authors.affiliation: Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA.
authors.forename: Nikki D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Charlton
authors.affiliation: Forage Improvement Division, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA.
authors.forename: Carolyn A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory, Crested Butte, CO 81224, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Rudgers
keywords: Epichloë; Poa leptocoma; Poa reflexa; fungal endophyte; mutualism; symbiosis