title: Soil moisture and chemistry influence diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associating with willow along an hydrologic gradient.
abstract: Influences of soil environment and willow host species on ectomycorrhizal fungi communities was studied across an hydrologic gradient in temperate North America. Soil moisture, organic matter and pH strongly predicted changes in fungal community composition. In contrast, increased fungal richness strongly correlated with higher plant-available phosphorus. The 93 willow trees sampled for ectomycorrhizal fungi included seven willow species. Host identity did not influence fungal richness or community composition, nor was there strong evidence of willow host preference for fungal species. Network analysis suggests that these mutualist interaction networks are not significantly nested or modular. Across a strong environmental gradient, fungal abiotic niche determined the fungal species available to associate with host plants within a habitat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA erlandso@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Sonya R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Erlandson
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02130, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.affiliation: Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Jeannine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cavender-Bares
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Kabir G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Peay
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D005658:Fungi / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D058507:Host Specificity; D062070:Hydrology; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009656:North America; D010758:Phosphorus; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D032108:Salix / Q000382:microbiology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis; D014197:Trees / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D010758:Phosphorus
keywords: Cedar Creek; Salix; ectomycorrhizae; host preference; mutualism network; niche