Abstract
• Few studies have examined how below-ground interactions among plants affect the abundance and community composition of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. • Here, we combined observations during drought with a removal experiment to examine the effects of below-ground interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) shrubs on the growth of pinyon pines (Pinus edulis), and the abundance and community composition of their ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. • Shrub density was negatively correlated with pinyon above- and below-ground growth and explained 75% of the variation in EM colonization. Consistent with competitive release, pinyon fine-root biomass, shoot length and needle length increased with shrub removal. EM colonization also doubled following shrub removal. EM communities did not respond to shrub removal, perhaps because of their strikingly low diversity. • These results suggest that below-ground competition with AM shrubs negatively impacted both pinyons and EM fungi. Similar competitive effects may be observed in other ecosystems given that drought frequency and severity are predicted to increase for many land interiors.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 171-178 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | New Phytologist |
| Volume | 171 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2006 |
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Keywords
- Below-ground competition
- Drought
- Ectomycorrhizal fungi
- Shrub
- Tree mortality
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Plant Science
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
- Biochemistry
Cite this
Below-ground interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal shrubs decrease the performance of pinyon pine and the abundance of its ectomycorrhizas. / McHugh, Theresa A.; Gehring, Catherine A.
In: New Phytologist, Vol. 171, No. 1, 07.2006, p. 171-178.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Below-ground interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal shrubs decrease the performance of pinyon pine and the abundance of its ectomycorrhizas
AU - McHugh, Theresa A.
AU - Gehring, Catherine A
PY - 2006/7
Y1 - 2006/7
N2 - • Few studies have examined how below-ground interactions among plants affect the abundance and community composition of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. • Here, we combined observations during drought with a removal experiment to examine the effects of below-ground interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) shrubs on the growth of pinyon pines (Pinus edulis), and the abundance and community composition of their ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. • Shrub density was negatively correlated with pinyon above- and below-ground growth and explained 75% of the variation in EM colonization. Consistent with competitive release, pinyon fine-root biomass, shoot length and needle length increased with shrub removal. EM colonization also doubled following shrub removal. EM communities did not respond to shrub removal, perhaps because of their strikingly low diversity. • These results suggest that below-ground competition with AM shrubs negatively impacted both pinyons and EM fungi. Similar competitive effects may be observed in other ecosystems given that drought frequency and severity are predicted to increase for many land interiors.
AB - • Few studies have examined how below-ground interactions among plants affect the abundance and community composition of symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. • Here, we combined observations during drought with a removal experiment to examine the effects of below-ground interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) shrubs on the growth of pinyon pines (Pinus edulis), and the abundance and community composition of their ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi. • Shrub density was negatively correlated with pinyon above- and below-ground growth and explained 75% of the variation in EM colonization. Consistent with competitive release, pinyon fine-root biomass, shoot length and needle length increased with shrub removal. EM colonization also doubled following shrub removal. EM communities did not respond to shrub removal, perhaps because of their strikingly low diversity. • These results suggest that below-ground competition with AM shrubs negatively impacted both pinyons and EM fungi. Similar competitive effects may be observed in other ecosystems given that drought frequency and severity are predicted to increase for many land interiors.
KW - Below-ground competition
KW - Drought
KW - Ectomycorrhizal fungi
KW - Shrub
KW - Tree mortality
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33744933710&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33744933710&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01735.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01735.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 16771992
AN - SCOPUS:33744933710
VL - 171
SP - 171
EP - 178
JO - New Phytologist
JF - New Phytologist
SN - 0028-646X
IS - 1
ER -