Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species
With climate change, the frequency of severe droughts is predicted to increase globally, resulting in increased forest dieback. Although fine-root systems and their associated fungi are considered crucial for tree nutrient exchange after a drought period and consequently for tree recovery, post-drou...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1197791/full |
| _version_ | 1797755406504689664 |
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| author | Jasmin Danzberger Jasmin Danzberger Ramona Werner Ramona Werner Joanna Mucha Karin Pritsch Fabian Weikl Fabian Weikl |
| author_facet | Jasmin Danzberger Jasmin Danzberger Ramona Werner Ramona Werner Joanna Mucha Karin Pritsch Fabian Weikl Fabian Weikl |
| author_sort | Jasmin Danzberger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With climate change, the frequency of severe droughts is predicted to increase globally, resulting in increased forest dieback. Although fine-root systems and their associated fungi are considered crucial for tree nutrient exchange after a drought period and consequently for tree recovery, post-drought dynamics remain poorly understood. We rewatered mature European beech and Norway spruce after a 5-year experimental summer drought to shed light on belowground recovery processes. Therefore, we tracked the fine-root parameters growth, vitality, and mycorrhization in monospecific rooting zones with intraspecific root contact and mixed rooting zones with interspecific root contact of both tree species during the first 3 months of recovery, and we analyzed compositions of their root-associated fungal communities by DNA- and RNA-ITS2 sequencing. During recovery, the fine-root parameters differed between both tree species, with only minor effects of the tree rooting zone. Root-associated fungal communities showed no significant response to irrigation within 3 months after drought release. The rooting zone was the dominating factor affecting the root-associated fungal diversity, the abundance of trophic modes, and the response of individual saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) species. Furthermore, an analysis of the most abundant fungal species revealed that for ECM fungi, drought tolerance was common and for saprotrophs, a facultative, root-associated lifestyle. These results suggest that tree species-specific fungal communities are stable despite previous long-term drought and are closely associated with tree species-specific response patterns related to root survival and recovery. Moreover, an association between saprotrophic fungi and roots might be a strategy to support fungal drought survival. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:46:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4a76975690cc4fcbb68d4545b61e90a4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2624-893X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T17:46:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Forests and Global Change |
| spelling | doaj.art-4a76975690cc4fcbb68d4545b61e90a42023-08-03T14:47:25ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Forests and Global Change2624-893X2023-08-01610.3389/ffgc.2023.11977911197791Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree speciesJasmin Danzberger0Jasmin Danzberger1Ramona Werner2Ramona Werner3Joanna Mucha4Karin Pritsch5Fabian Weikl6Fabian Weikl7Ecophysiology of Plants, Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyHelmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Neuherberg, GermanyHelmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Neuherberg, GermanyInstitute of Forest Ecology, Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, AustriaDepartment of Forest Entomology and Pathology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, PolandHelmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Neuherberg, GermanyEcophysiology of Plants, Professorship for Land Surface-Atmosphere Interactions, Research Department Life Science Systems, TUM School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Freising, GermanyHelmholtz Zentrum München–German Research Center for Environmental Health (GmbH), Research Unit Environmental Simulation, Neuherberg, GermanyWith climate change, the frequency of severe droughts is predicted to increase globally, resulting in increased forest dieback. Although fine-root systems and their associated fungi are considered crucial for tree nutrient exchange after a drought period and consequently for tree recovery, post-drought dynamics remain poorly understood. We rewatered mature European beech and Norway spruce after a 5-year experimental summer drought to shed light on belowground recovery processes. Therefore, we tracked the fine-root parameters growth, vitality, and mycorrhization in monospecific rooting zones with intraspecific root contact and mixed rooting zones with interspecific root contact of both tree species during the first 3 months of recovery, and we analyzed compositions of their root-associated fungal communities by DNA- and RNA-ITS2 sequencing. During recovery, the fine-root parameters differed between both tree species, with only minor effects of the tree rooting zone. Root-associated fungal communities showed no significant response to irrigation within 3 months after drought release. The rooting zone was the dominating factor affecting the root-associated fungal diversity, the abundance of trophic modes, and the response of individual saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) species. Furthermore, an analysis of the most abundant fungal species revealed that for ECM fungi, drought tolerance was common and for saprotrophs, a facultative, root-associated lifestyle. These results suggest that tree species-specific fungal communities are stable despite previous long-term drought and are closely associated with tree species-specific response patterns related to root survival and recovery. Moreover, an association between saprotrophic fungi and roots might be a strategy to support fungal drought survival.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1197791/fulldrought recoveryEuropean beechfine rootsNorway spruceroot-associated fungitree mixture |
| spellingShingle | Jasmin Danzberger Jasmin Danzberger Ramona Werner Ramona Werner Joanna Mucha Karin Pritsch Fabian Weikl Fabian Weikl Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species Frontiers in Forests and Global Change drought recovery European beech fine roots Norway spruce root-associated fungi tree mixture |
| title | Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| title_full | Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| title_fullStr | Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| title_full_unstemmed | Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| title_short | Drought legacy effects on fine-root-associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| title_sort | drought legacy effects on fine root associated fungal communities are modulated by root interactions between tree species |
| topic | drought recovery European beech fine roots Norway spruce root-associated fungi tree mixture |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1197791/full |
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