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Mycorrhizal dominance reduces forest-tree species diversity

Carteron, A.; Vellend, M.; Laliberte, E.

2021-01-25 ecology
10.1101/2021.01.23.427902 bioRxiv
Show abstract

Ectomycorrhizas and arbuscular mycorrhizas, the two most widespread plant-fungal symbioses, are thought to differentially influence tree species diversity, with positive plant-soil feedbacks favoring locally abundant ectomycorrhizal tree species and negative feedbacks promoting species coexistence and diversity in arbuscular mycorrhizal forests. While seedling recruitment studies and cross-biome patterns of plant diversity and mycorrhizal dominance support this hypothesis, it remains to be tested at the forest stand level over continental scales. Here, we analyze [~]85,000 forest plots across the United States to show that both ectomycorrhizal-dominated and arbuscular mycorrhizal-dominated forests show relatively low tree diversity, while forests with a mixture of mycorrhizal strategies support a higher number of tree species. Our findings suggest that mycorrhizal dominance, rather than mycorrhizal type, shapes tree diversity in forests.

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