6533b83afe1ef96bd12a793d
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Tree species identity and diversity drive fungal richness and community composition along an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean ecosystem
Alessandro SaittaSten AnslanLeho TedersooMohammad BahramMohammad BahramLuca Broccasubject
0301 basic medicineBiodiversityPlant ScienceEnvironmentBiologySpatial distributionTrees03 medical and health sciencesAltitudeMycorrhizaeBotanyGeneticsDNA Barcoding TaxonomicTaxonomic rankEctomycorrhizal fungiMolecular BiologySicilySoil MicrobiologyEcology Evolution Behavior and SystematicsAbiotic componentHost (biology)EcologyAltitudeSettore BIO/02 - Botanica SistematicafungiFungiGeneral MedicineBiodiversityQuercus ilex030104 developmental biologyItalyHabitatMetabarcodingSpecies richnessdescription
Ecological and taxonomic knowledge is important for conservation and utilization of biodiversity. Biodiversity and ecology of fungi in Mediterranean ecosystems is poorly understood. Here, we examined the diversity and spatial dis- tribution of fungi along an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean ecosystem, using DNA metabarcoding. This study provides novel information about diversity of all eco- logical and taxonomic groups of fungi along an elevational gradient in a Mediterranean ecosystem. Our analyses revealed that among all biotic and abiotic variables tested, host species identity is the main driver of the fungal richness and fungal community composition. Fungal richness was strongly asso- ciated with tree richness and peaked in Quercus-dominated habitats and Cistus-dominated habitats. The highest taxonom- ic richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi was observed under Quercus ilex, whereas the highest taxonomic richness of saprotrophs was found under Pinus. Our results suggest that the effect of plant diversity on fungal richness and community composition may override that of abiotic variables across environmental gradients.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-01 |