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Symbiosis limits establishment of legumes outside their native range at a global scale

Author

Listed:
  • Anna K. Simonsen

    (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Land & Water)

  • Russell Dinnage

    (Research School of Biology, The Australian National University)

  • Luke G. Barrett

    (CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra)

  • Suzanne M. Prober

    (CSIRO Land & Water)

  • Peter H. Thrall

    (CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra)

Abstract

Microbial symbiosis is integral to plant growth and reproduction, but its contribution to global patterns of plant distribution is unknown. Legumes (Fabaceae) are a diverse and widely distributed plant family largely dependent on symbiosis with nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, which are acquired from soil after germination. This dependency is predicted to limit establishment in new geographic areas, owing to a disruption of compatible host-symbiont associations. Here we compare non-native establishment patterns of symbiotic and non-symbiotic legumes across over 3,500 species, covering multiple independent gains and losses of rhizobial symbiosis. We find that symbiotic legume species have spread to fewer non-native regions compared to non-symbiotic legumes, providing strong support for the hypothesis that lack of suitable symbionts or environmental conditions required for effective nitrogen-fixation are driving these global introduction patterns. These results highlight the importance of mutualisms in predicting non-native species establishment and the potential impacts of microbial biogeography on global plant distributions.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna K. Simonsen & Russell Dinnage & Luke G. Barrett & Suzanne M. Prober & Peter H. Thrall, 2017. "Symbiosis limits establishment of legumes outside their native range at a global scale," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-9, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms14790
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms14790
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