The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in nonnative plant invasion along mountain roads

Publikation: Beiträge in ZeitschriftenZeitschriftenaufsätzeForschungbegutachtet

Authors

  • Jan Clavel
  • Jonas Lembrechts
  • Jake Alexander
  • Sylvia Haider
  • Jonathan Lenoir
  • Ann Milbau
  • Martin A. Nuñez
  • Anibal Pauchard
  • Ivan Nijs
  • Erik Verbruggen
Plant associated mutualists can mediate invasion success by affecting the ecological niche of nonnative plant species. Anthropogenic disturbance is also key in facilitating invasion success through changes in biotic and abiotic conditions, but the combined effect of these two factors in natural environments is understudied. To better understand this interaction, we investigated how disturbance and its interaction with mycorrhizas could impact range dynamics of nonnative plant species in the mountains of Norway. Therefore, we studied the root colonisation and community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in disturbed vs undisturbed plots along mountain roads. We found that roadside disturbance strongly increases fungal diversity and richness while also promoting AM fungal root colonisation in an otherwise ecto-mycorrhiza and ericoid-mycorrhiza dominated environment. Surprisingly, AM fungi associating with nonnative plant species were present across the whole elevation gradient, even above the highest elevational limit of nonnative plants, indicating that mycorrhizal fungi are not currently limiting the upward movement of nonnative plants. We conclude that roadside disturbance has a positive effect on AM fungal colonisation and richness, possibly supporting the spread of nonnative plants, but that there is no absolute limitation of belowground mutualists, even at high elevation.
OriginalspracheEnglisch
ZeitschriftNew Phytologist
Jahrgang230
Ausgabenummer3
Seiten (von - bis)1156-1168
Anzahl der Seiten13
ISSN0028-646X
DOIs
PublikationsstatusErschienen - 01.05.2021
Extern publiziertJa

Bibliographische Notiz

Funding Information:
JL, JJL, IN and EV acknowledge funding from FWO (projects OZ7916, OZ7828 and OZ8323), and from an INTERACT Transnational Access Grant. JA received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant no. 678841) and from the Swiss National Science Foundation (grant no. 31003A_176044). AP funded by CONICYT PIA AFB170008 and FONDECYT 1180205.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 The Authors New Phytologist © 2020 New Phytologist Foundation

    Fachgebiete

  • Biologie - anthropogenic disturbance, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, elevation gradient, plant invasion, range shifts, roads, soil microbiota, sub-Arctic

DOI