Soil fungal communities with different mycorrhizal tree species gradients
This study aimed to investigate how shifts in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree dominance shape soil fungal communities, core fungal taxa, co-occurrence network structure, and enzyme-linked nutrient functioning in subtropical forest soils. By analyzing fungal ITS sequencing data across a gradient of ECM tree dominance, we assessed changes in fungal community composition, functional guilds, network complexity, inferred topological robustness, extracellular enzyme activity, and microbial nutrient limitation. The study provides field-based evidence for how dominant tree mycorrhizal associations may filter soil fungal microbiomes and influence belowground nutrient-cycling processes, contributing to a better understanding of plant-soil-microbiome interactions in forest ecosystems.