Fungal community influences niche differences -- implications for species coexistence

Fungal community influences niche differences -- implications for species coexistence | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 February 2025 V1 Latest version Share on Fungal community influences niche differences -- implications for species coexistence Authors : Sara Tomiolo 0000-0002-5071-5851 [email protected] , Viktoria Ferenc , Pierre Liancourt , and Katja Tielborger Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173938160.09990490/v1 200 views 130 downloads Contents Abstract Supplementary Material Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Semi-arid ecosystems offer very limited resources to plants, but they are inhabited by incredibly diverse communities of winter annual plants. Ecological theory suggests that a high degree of specialization in resource use and in interactions among plants and soil fungi may explain the coexistence of ecologically similar species in such diverse communities. Species-specific variation in net outcome (positive vs negative) of plant-soil fungi interactions, may lead to variation in mean fitness differences thus increasing opportunities of coexistence. Few studies tested how resources (water and nutrients) in combination with soil fungi affect plants’ fundamental niche across life stages. We experimentally tested germination and fitness differences under different combinations of water, nutrients and soil fungi treatments, using six winter annual species with different degrees of mycorrhizal dependence. Germination success of four out of six species was reduced by the absence of soil fungi, and this response was more severe for obligate mycorrhizal species. Presence of soil fungi ameliorated the production of plant biomass especially under limited water or nutrients, corroborating findings that beneficial interactions with soil fungi alleviate abiotic stress. This response was strong in mycorrhizal dependent species, but highly variable among non-mycorrhizal species, likely due to species-specific outcomes of interactions among plants and pathogenic fungi. We suggest that absence of important symbionts may reduce germination and increase seed dormancy, thus favoring temporal niche partitioning among species, while the net outcomes of plant-soil fungi interactions may reduce mean fitness differences favoring coexistence via equalizing processes. Supplementary Material File (plant_soil_response_submission_ecology_evolution.pdf) Download 622.09 KB Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 February 2025 Copyright This work is licensed under a Non Exclusive No Reuse License. Keywords ecological experiment plants population ecology terrestrial Authors Affiliations Sara Tomiolo 0000-0002-5071-5851 [email protected] University of Tübingen View all articles by this author Viktoria Ferenc Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History Botany Department View all articles by this author Pierre Liancourt Stuttgart State Museum of Natural History Botany Department View all articles by this author Katja Tielborger University of Tübingen View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 200 views 130 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Sara Tomiolo, Viktoria Ferenc, Pierre Liancourt, et al. Fungal community influences niche differences -- implications for species coexistence. Authorea . 12 February 2025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/au.173938160.09990490/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. 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