Data_Sheet_1_Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Taxa Show Variable Patterns of Micro-Scale Dispersal in Prairie Restorations.pdf

Human land use disturbance is a major contributor to the loss of natural plant communities, and this is particularly true in areas used for agriculture, such as the Midwestern tallgrass prairies of the United States. Previous work has shown that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) additions can increase native plant survival and success in plant community restorations, but the dispersal of AMF in these systems is poorly understood. In this study, we examined the dispersal of AMF taxa inoculated into four tallgrass prairie restorations. At each site, we inoculated native plant species with greenhouse-cultured native AMF taxa or whole soil collected from a nearby unplowed prairie. We monitored AMF dispersal, AMF biomass, plant growth, and plant community composition, at different distances from inoculation. In two sites, we assessed the role of plant hosts in dispersal, by placing known AMF hosts in a “bridge” and “island” pattern on either side of the inoculation points. We found that AMF taxa differ in their dispersal ability, with some taxa spreading to 2-m in the first year and others remaining closer to the inoculation point. We also found evidence that AMF spread altered non-inoculated neighboring plant growth and community composition in certain sites. These results represent the most comprehensive attempt to date to evaluate AMF spread.

人类土地利用扰动是自然植物群落丧失的主要诱因，在美国中西部高草草原等农业用地中这一现象尤为突出。过往研究表明，在植物群落修复过程中施加丛枝菌根真菌（arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, AMF）可提升本土植物的存活率与定植成功率，但目前学界对这类生态系统中AMF的扩散机制仍知之甚少。本研究针对接种至4处高草草原修复样地的AMF类群扩散情况展开探究。在每个样地中，我们分别采用温室培养的本土AMF类群，或是从附近未开垦草原采集的完整土壤，对接种本土植物物种进行菌剂接种。我们在距接种点不同距离处监测了AMF扩散情况、AMF生物量、植物生长状况以及植物群落组成。在其中2处样地中，我们通过在接种点两侧分别以“桥接”和“孤岛”模式布置已知的AMF宿主植物，以此评估植物宿主在AMF扩散过程中的作用。研究结果显示，不同AMF类群的扩散能力存在显著差异：部分类群可在接种后第一年扩散至2米开外，而另一些类群则仅停留在距接种点较近的区域。同时我们还发现，在部分样地中，AMF扩散可改变未接种邻株的生长状况与群落组成。本研究结果是迄今为止评估AMF扩散过程最为全面的一次尝试。