TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in nonnative plant invasion along mountain roads

AU - Clavel, Jan

AU - Lembrechts, Jonas

AU - Alexander, Jake

AU - Haider, Sylvia

AU - Lenoir, Jonathan

AU - Milbau, Ann

AU - Nuñez, Martin A.

AU - Pauchard, Anibal

AU - Nijs, Ivan

AU - Verbruggen, Erik

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Authors New Phytologist © 2020 New Phytologist Foundation

PY - 2021/5/1

Y1 - 2021/5/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Biology

KW - anthropogenic disturbance

KW - arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

KW - elevation gradient

KW - plant invasion

KW - range shifts

KW - roads

KW - soil microbiota

KW - sub-Arctic

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094660771&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/6defde6b-e349-3ec4-8d0e-b9207b5bc437/

U2 - 10.1111/nph.16954

DO - 10.1111/nph.16954

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 32984980

AN - SCOPUS:85094660771

VL - 230

SP - 1156

EP - 1168

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

SN - 0028-646X

IS - 3

ER -