Mycorrhizal and rhizobial interactions influence model grassland plant community structure and productivity

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobium are likely important drivers of plant coexistence and grassland productivity due to complementary roles in supplying limiting nutrients. However, the interactive effects of mycorrhizal and rhizobial associations on plant community productivity and comp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mycorrhiza 2022, Vol.32 (1), p.15-32
Main Authors: Zhou, Jiqiong, Wilson, Gail W. T., Cobb, Adam B., Zhang, Yingjun, Liu, Lin, Zhang, Xinquan, Sun, Feida
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Alfalfa
Arbuscular mycorrhizas
Biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Coexistence
Community structure
Competitiveness
Cost benefit analysis
Ecology
Fertilization
Forestry
Functional groups
Fungi
Grassland
Grasslands
Host plants
Inoculation
Legumes
Life Sciences
Limiting nutrients
Microbiology
Microorganisms
Mycorrhizae
Nitrogen
Nodulation
Nutrients
Original Article
Plant communities
Plant populations
Plant Roots
Plant Sciences
Plant species
Productivity
Rhizobium
Rhizosphere
Symbiosis
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Summary:Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and rhizobium are likely important drivers of plant coexistence and grassland productivity due to complementary roles in supplying limiting nutrients. However, the interactive effects of mycorrhizal and rhizobial associations on plant community productivity and competitive dynamics remain unclear. To address this, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to determine the influences of these key microbial functional groups on communities comprising three plant species by comparing plant communities grown with or without each symbiont. We also utilized N-fertilization and clipping treatments to explore potential shifts in mycorrhizal and rhizobial benefits across abiotic and biotic conditions. Our research suggests AM fungi and rhizobium co-inoculation was strongly facilitative for plant community productivity and legume ( Medicago sativa ) growth and nodulation. Plant competitiveness shifted in the presence of AM fungi and rhizobium, favoring M. sativa over a neighboring C 4 grass ( Andropogon gerardii ) and C 3 forb ( Ratibida pinnata ). This may be due to rhizobial symbiosis as well as the relatively greater mycorrhizal growth response of M. sativa , compared to the other model plants. Clipping and N-fertilization altered relative costs and benefits of both symbioses, presumably by altering host-plant nitrogen and carbon dynamics, leading to a relative decrease in mycorrhizal responsiveness and proportional biomass of M. sativa relative to the total biomass of the entire plant community, with a concomitant relative increase in A. gerardii and R. pinnata proportional biomass. Our results demonstrate a strong influence of both microbial symbioses on host-plant competitiveness and community dynamics across clipping and N-fertilization treatments, suggesting the symbiotic rhizosphere community is critical for legume establishment in grasslands.
ISSN:0940-6360
1432-1890
DOI:10.1007/s00572-021-01061-2