Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community
Obligate aerobic AMF taxa have high species richness under waterlogged conditions, but their ecological role remains unclear. Here we focused on AM fungal mediation of plant interactions in a marshland plant community. Five cooccurring plant species were chosen for a neighbor removal experiment in w...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2014-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/923610 |
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| author | Qian Zhang Qixiang Sun Roger T. Koide Zhenhua Peng Jinxing Zhou Xungang Gu Weidong Gao Meng Yu |
| author_facet | Qian Zhang Qixiang Sun Roger T. Koide Zhenhua Peng Jinxing Zhou Xungang Gu Weidong Gao Meng Yu |
| author_sort | Qian Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Obligate aerobic AMF taxa have high species richness under waterlogged conditions, but their ecological role remains unclear. Here we focused on AM fungal mediation of plant interactions in a marshland plant community. Five cooccurring plant species were chosen for a neighbor removal experiment in which benomyl was used to suppress AMF colonization. A Phragmites australis removal experiment was also performed to study its role in promoting AMF colonization by increasing rhizosphere oxygen concentration. Mycorrhizal fungal effects on plant interactions were different for dominant and subdominant plant species. AMF colonization has driven positive neighbor effects for three subdominant plant species including Kummerowia striata, Leonurus artemisia, and Ixeris polycephala. In contrast, AMF colonization enhanced the negative effects of neighbors on the dominant Conyza canadensis and had no significant impact on the neighbor interaction to the dominant Polygonum pubescens. AM colonization was positively related to oxygen concentration. P. australis increased oxygen concentration, enhanced AMF colonization, and was thus indirectly capable of influencing plant interactions. Aerobic AM fungi appear to be ecologically relevant in this wetland ecosystem. They drive positive neighbor interactions for subdominant plant species, effectively increasing plant diversity. We suggest, therefore, that AM fungi may be ecologically important even under waterlogged conditions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c33f09fd2a3431eb3cc267df51beb1d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2356-6140 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-5c33f09fd2a3431eb3cc267df51beb1d2025-08-20T03:34:13ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal2356-61401537-744X2014-01-01201410.1155/2014/923610923610Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant CommunityQian Zhang0Qixiang Sun1Roger T. Koide2Zhenhua Peng3Jinxing Zhou4Xungang Gu5Weidong Gao6Meng Yu7Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaDepartment of Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USAResearch Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaInstitute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaCollege of Resource and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, ChinaResearch Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaResearch Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaObligate aerobic AMF taxa have high species richness under waterlogged conditions, but their ecological role remains unclear. Here we focused on AM fungal mediation of plant interactions in a marshland plant community. Five cooccurring plant species were chosen for a neighbor removal experiment in which benomyl was used to suppress AMF colonization. A Phragmites australis removal experiment was also performed to study its role in promoting AMF colonization by increasing rhizosphere oxygen concentration. Mycorrhizal fungal effects on plant interactions were different for dominant and subdominant plant species. AMF colonization has driven positive neighbor effects for three subdominant plant species including Kummerowia striata, Leonurus artemisia, and Ixeris polycephala. In contrast, AMF colonization enhanced the negative effects of neighbors on the dominant Conyza canadensis and had no significant impact on the neighbor interaction to the dominant Polygonum pubescens. AM colonization was positively related to oxygen concentration. P. australis increased oxygen concentration, enhanced AMF colonization, and was thus indirectly capable of influencing plant interactions. Aerobic AM fungi appear to be ecologically relevant in this wetland ecosystem. They drive positive neighbor interactions for subdominant plant species, effectively increasing plant diversity. We suggest, therefore, that AM fungi may be ecologically important even under waterlogged conditions.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/923610 |
| spellingShingle | Qian Zhang Qixiang Sun Roger T. Koide Zhenhua Peng Jinxing Zhou Xungang Gu Weidong Gao Meng Yu Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community |
| title_full | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community |
| title_fullStr | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community |
| title_full_unstemmed | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community |
| title_short | Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Mediation of Plant-Plant Interactions in a Marshland Plant Community |
| title_sort | arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal mediation of plant plant interactions in a marshland plant community |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/923610 |
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