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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community differs between a coexisting native shrub and introduced annual grass

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Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been implicated in non-native plant invasion success and persistence. However, few studies have identified the AMF species associating directly with plant invaders, or how these associations differ from those of native plant species. Identifying changes to the AMF community due to plant invasion could yield key plant–AMF interactions necessary for the restoration of native plant communities. This research compared AMF associating with coexisting Bromus tectorum, an invasive annual grass, and Artemisia tridentata, the dominant native shrub in western North America. At three sites, soil and root samples from Bromus and Artemisia were collected. Sporulation was induced using trap cultures, and spores were identified using morphological characteristics. DNA was extracted from root and soil subsamples and amplified. Sequences obtained were aligned and analyzed to compare diversity, composition, and phylogenetic distance between hosts and sites. Richness of AMF species associated with Artemisia in cultures was higher than AMF species associated with Bromus. Gamma diversity was similar and beta diversity was higher in AMF associated with Bromus compared to Artemisia. AMF community composition differed between hosts in both cultures and roots. Two AMF species (Archaeospora trappei and Viscospora viscosum) associated more frequently with Artemisia than Bromus across multiple sites. AMF communities in Bromus roots were more phylogenetically dispersed than in Artemisia roots, indicating a greater competition for resources within the invasive grass. Bromus associated with an AMF community that differed from Artemisia in a number of ways, and these changes could restrict native plant establishment.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank H. Varani, B. Wolk, L. Bodistow, A. Broz, and the CSU Sequencing Lab (Colorado State University); J. Morton, R. Bills, S. Purin, and B. Wheeler (INVAM); J. Bever and W. Kaonongbua (Indiana University); and N. Raizen (University of Illinois). This research was funded by the United States Army A896 Direct Funded Research Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Ryan R. Busby, Mary E. Stromberger & Mark W. Paschke

  2. Construction Engineering Research Lab, US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, 2902 Newmark Drive, Champaign, IL, 61826, USA

    Ryan R. Busby, Giselle Rodriguez & Dick L. Gebhart

  3. Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Mary E. Stromberger

  4. Department of Forest, Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    Mark W. Paschke

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  1. Ryan R. Busby
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Correspondence to Ryan R. Busby.

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Fig. A1

Spatial distribution of host subsamples at each of the 3 study sites. A) CO site, B) UT site, C) WY site. Study sites are approximately 1,000 m2. Individual host subsamples do not add to 16 in most panes due to samples in close proximity to one another (< 1 m) with overlapping pins. (JPEG 88 kb)

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Fig. A2

Fig. A2a1 Frequency of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi DNA sequences isolated from Bromus tectorum (a) and Artemisia tridentata (b) roots and soils across three study sites: Colorado (1), Utah (2), and Wyoming (3). Black bars indicate root associations, white bars indicate soil associations. Naming convention for the sequences are numbered based on the last 3 digits of the accession number assigned by GenBank. (JPEG 154 kb)

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Fig. A2a2 (JPEG 154 kb)

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Fig. A2b1 (JPEG 157 kb)

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Fig. A2b2 (JPEG 159 kb)

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Fig. A2b3 (JPEG 155 kb)

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Busby, R.R., Stromberger, M.E., Rodriguez, G. et al. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community differs between a coexisting native shrub and introduced annual grass. Mycorrhiza 23, 129–141 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-012-0455-x

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