Mycorrhizal fungi show regular community compositions in natural ecosystems
Citation
Verbruggen, E., Sheldrake, M., Bainard, L.D., Chen, B., Ceulemans, T., De Gruyter, J., Van Geel, M. (2018). Mycorrhizal fungi show regular community compositions in natural ecosystems. The ISME Journal, [online] 12(2), 380-385. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ismej.2017.169
Plain language summary
Recent research in microbial ecology has found that ‘universality’ is a common feature in many
complex microbial communities, suggesting that the same species interact in a similar manner when shared between communities. We present evidence that a group of beneficial fungi show universal community compositions in natural ecosystems and that this pattern is observed even at larger spatial scales. However, universality was not detected in agricultural ecosystems indicating that farm management practices impact the structuring of these beneficial fungal communities and that they form in a different manner.
Abstract
Dissimilarity overlap curve analysis has shown that â € universality' is a common feature in many complex microbial communities, suggesting that the same taxa interact in a similar manner when shared between communities. We present evidence that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, common plant root symbionts, show universal community compositions in natural ecosystems and that this pattern is conserved even at larger spatial scales. However, universality was not detected in agricultural ecosystems potentially implying that agricultural symbiont communities are formed in a different manner.