IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pbio00/3003304.html

Host plant phylogeny predicts arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities, but plant life history and fungal genetic change predict feedback

Author

Listed:
  • Robert J Ramos
  • Brianna L Richards
  • Peggy A Schultz
  • James D Bever

Abstract

Symbioses exert strong influence on host phenotypes; however, benefits from symbionts can increase or degrade over time. Understanding the context-dependence of reinforcing or degrading dynamics is pivotal to predicting stability of symbiotic benefits. Host phylogenetic relationships and host life history traits are two candidate axes that have been proposed to structure symbioses. However, the relative influence of host evolutionary history and life history on symbiont composition, and whether changes in symbiont composition translate into stronger mutualistic benefits is unknown. We tested the influence of plant phylogenetic relationships and plant life history on the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, perhaps the most ancestral and influential of plant symbionts, and then tested whether AM fungal differentiation resulted in improved mutualism as expected from coadaptation. We constructed mycobiomes composed of seven AM fungal isolates derived from tallgrass prairie and grew them for two growing seasons with 38 grassland plant species. We found that host phylogenetic structure was a significant predictor of the composition of AM fungal communities and the genetic composition of AM fungal species, patterns consistent with phylosymbiosis. However, the phylogenetic structure of AM fungi failed to translate to improved benefits to their host. While AM fungi generally improved plant growth and mycorrhizal feedback was generally positive, the strength of feedback was not predicted by plant phylogenetic distance. The composition of the AM fungal community and genetic composition within AM fungal species were also significantly influenced by plant life history and feedbacks between early and late successional species were generally positive. Interestingly, positive mycorrhizal feedback was predicted by changes in genetic composition of the two most abundant AM fungal species, not by changes in species composition. Positive mycorrhizal feedbacks across life history can mediate plant species turnover during succession and suggests that consideration of mycorrhizal dynamics could improve ecosystem restoration.Symbiotic interactions strongly influence host phenotypes, yet their benefits vary with host phylogeny and life history. This study shows that plant phylogenetic structure predicts arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal composition but not the mutualistic benefits, while life history influences fungal genetic variation and feedback strength, shaping succession and informing restoration strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert J Ramos & Brianna L Richards & Peggy A Schultz & James D Bever, 2026. "Host plant phylogeny predicts arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities, but plant life history and fungal genetic change predict feedback," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 24(2), pages 1-21, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:3003304
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003304
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003304
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3003304&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pbio.3003304?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Marcel G. A. van der Heijden & John N. Klironomos & Margot Ursic & Peter Moutoglis & Ruth Streitwolf-Engel & Thomas Boller & Andres Wiemken & Ian R. Sanders, 1998. "Mycorrhizal fungal diversity determines plant biodiversity, ecosystem variability and productivity," Nature, Nature, vol. 396(6706), pages 69-72, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Antonius Suparno & Saraswati Prabawardani & Sudirman Yahya & Novita Taroreh, 2015. "Inoculation of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increase the Growth of Cocoa and Coffee Seedling Applied with Ayamaru Phosphate Rock," Journal of Agricultural Science, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 7(5), pages 199-199, April.
    2. Laura A Schreeg & W John Kress & David L Erickson & Nathan G Swenson, 2010. "Phylogenetic Analysis of Local-Scale Tree Soil Associations in a Lowland Moist Tropical Forest," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 5(10), pages 1-10, October.
    3. Mengdie Feng & Dengyu Zhang & Binghui He & Ke Liang & Peidong Xi & Yunfei Bi & Yingying Huang & Dongxin Liu & Tianyang Li, 2021. "Characteristics of Soil C, N, and P Stoichiometry as Affected by Land Use and Slope Position in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Southwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Isabel Ceballos & Michael Ruiz & Cristhian Fernández & Ricardo Peña & Alia Rodríguez & Ian R Sanders, 2013. "The In Vitro Mass-Produced Model Mycorrhizal Fungus, Rhizophagus irregularis, Significantly Increases Yields of the Globally Important Food Security Crop Cassava," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-10, August.
    5. Guoxi Shi & Yongjun Liu & Lin Mao & Shengjing Jiang & Qi Zhang & Gang Cheng & Lizhe An & Guozhen Du & Huyuan Feng, 2014. "Relative Importance of Deterministic and Stochastic Processes in Driving Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Assemblage during the Spreading of a Toxic Plant," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(4), pages 1-9, April.
    6. Matthew Chekwube Enebe & Mariana Erasmus, 2023. "Symbiosis—A Perspective on the Effects of Host Traits and Environmental Parameters in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Richness, Colonization and Ecological Functions," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-28, September.
    7. Chuanhong Xu & Wenhua Xiang & Mengmeng Gou & Liang Chen & Pifeng Lei & Xi Fang & Xiangwen Deng & Shuai Ouyang, 2018. "Effects of Forest Restoration on Soil Carbon, Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Their Stoichiometry in Hunan, Southern China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-14, June.
    8. Rosalba O. Fors & Emilia Sorci-Uhmann & Erika S. Santos & Patricia Silva-Flores & Maria Manuela Abreu & Wanda Viegas & Amaia Nogales, 2023. "Influence of Soil Type, Land Use, and Rootstock Genotype on Root-Associated Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities and Their Impact on Grapevine Growth and Nutrition," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-21, November.
    9. T E Anne Cotton & Alex J Dumbrell & Thorunn Helgason, 2014. "What Goes in Must Come out: Testing for Biases in Molecular Analysis of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(10), pages 1-7, October.
    10. Vítězslav Vlček & Miroslav Pohanka, 2020. "Glomalin - an interesting protein part of the soil organic matter," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 15(2), pages 67-74.
    11. Agata Klimkowska & Klara Goldstein & Tomasz Wyszomirski & Łukasz Kozub & Mateusz Wilk & Camiel Aggenbach & Jan P Bakker & Heinrich Belting & Boudewijn Beltman & Volker Blüml & Yzaak De Vries & Beate G, 2019. "Are we restoring functional fens? – The outcomes of restoration projects in fens re-analysed with plant functional traits," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(4), pages 1-22, April.
    12. Ritu Mawar & B. L. Manjunatha & Sanjeev Kumar, 2021. "Commercialization, Diffusion and Adoption of Bioformulations for Sustainable Disease Management in Indian Arid Agriculture: Prospects and Challenges," Circular Economy and Sustainability, Springer, vol. 1(4), pages 1367-1385, December.
    13. Sakai, Kenshi & Brown, Patrick H. & Rosenstock, Todd S. & Upadhyaya, Shrinivasa K. & Hastings, Alan, 2022. "Spatial phase synchronisation of pistachio alternate bearing: Common-noise-induced synchronisation of coupled chaotic oscillators," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 165(P2).
    14. Wang, Weiyan & Guo, Wenjia & Dong, Jiangyao & Zhang, Houping & Liao, Yuncheng & Wen, Xiaoxia, 2024. "Ridge-furrow planting patterns with film mulching improve water use efficiency by enhancing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere and endophyte of summer maize," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 296(C).
    15. Xi Wei & Wei Song & Ya Shao & Xiangwen Cai, 2022. "Progress of Ecological Restoration Research Based on Bibliometric Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-21, December.
    16. Gowdy, John & Seidl, Irmi, 2004. "Economic man and selfish genes: the implications of group selection for economic valuation and policy," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 33(3), pages 343-358, July.
    17. Veresoglou, Stavros D. & Halley, John M., 2012. "A model that explains diversity patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizas," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 231(C), pages 146-152.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:3003304. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosbiology (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.