TY - JOUR

T1 - Roadside disturbance promotes plant communities with arbuscular mycorrhizal associations in mountain regions worldwide

AU - Clavel, Jan

AU - Lembrechts, Jonas J.

AU - Lenoir, Jonathan

AU - Haider, Sylvia

AU - McDougall, Keith

AU - Nuñez, Martin A.

AU - Alexander, Jake

AU - Barros, Agustina

AU - Milbau, Ann

AU - Seipel, Tim

AU - Pauchard, Anibal

AU - Fuentes-Lillo, Eduardo

AU - Ratier Backes, Amanda

AU - Dar, Pervaiz

AU - Reshi, Zafar A.

AU - Aleksanyan, Alla

AU - Zong, Shengwei

AU - Arevalo Sierra, José Ramón

AU - Aschero, Valeria

AU - Verbruggen, Erik

AU - Nijs, Ivan

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Ecography published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic Society Oikos.

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - We assessed the impact of road disturbances on the dominant mycorrhizal types in ecosystems at the global level and how this mechanism can potentially lead to lasting plant community changes. We used a database of coordinated plant community surveys following mountain roads from 894 plots in 11 mountain regions across the globe in combination with an existing database of mycorrhizal–plant associations in order to approximate the relative abundance of mycorrhizal types in natural and disturbed environments. Our findings show that roadside disturbance promotes the cover of plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This effect is especially strong in colder mountain environments and in mountain regions where plant communities are dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) or ericoid-mycorrhizal (ErM) associations. Furthermore, non-native plant species, which we confirmed to be mostly AM plants, are more successful in environments dominated by AM associations. These biogeographical patterns suggest that changes in mycorrhizal types could be a crucial factor in the worldwide impact of anthropogenic disturbances on mountain ecosystems. Indeed, roadsides foster AM-dominated systems, where AM-fungi might aid AM-associated plant species while potentially reducing the biotic resistance against invasive non-native species, often also associated with AM networks. Restoration efforts in mountain ecosystems will have to contend with changes in the fundamental make-up of EcM- and ErM plant communities induced by roadside disturbance.

AB - We assessed the impact of road disturbances on the dominant mycorrhizal types in ecosystems at the global level and how this mechanism can potentially lead to lasting plant community changes. We used a database of coordinated plant community surveys following mountain roads from 894 plots in 11 mountain regions across the globe in combination with an existing database of mycorrhizal–plant associations in order to approximate the relative abundance of mycorrhizal types in natural and disturbed environments. Our findings show that roadside disturbance promotes the cover of plants associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. This effect is especially strong in colder mountain environments and in mountain regions where plant communities are dominated by ectomycorrhizal (EcM) or ericoid-mycorrhizal (ErM) associations. Furthermore, non-native plant species, which we confirmed to be mostly AM plants, are more successful in environments dominated by AM associations. These biogeographical patterns suggest that changes in mycorrhizal types could be a crucial factor in the worldwide impact of anthropogenic disturbances on mountain ecosystems. Indeed, roadsides foster AM-dominated systems, where AM-fungi might aid AM-associated plant species while potentially reducing the biotic resistance against invasive non-native species, often also associated with AM networks. Restoration efforts in mountain ecosystems will have to contend with changes in the fundamental make-up of EcM- and ErM plant communities induced by roadside disturbance.

KW - anthropogenic disturbance

KW - arbuscular mycorrhiza

KW - drivers of plant distributions

KW - mountain ecology

KW - mountain roads

KW - mycorrhizal fungi

KW - plant invasions

KW - Biology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85189778570&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/4c64e721-34dd-3ae7-a2fc-2daada5e8e92/

U2 - 10.1111/ecog.07051

DO - 10.1111/ecog.07051

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85189778570

VL - 2024

JO - Ecography

JF - Ecography

SN - 0906-7590

IS - 7

M1 - e07051

ER -