Data from: Plant traits determine the phylogenetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities

Functional diversity in ecosystems has traditionally been studied using aboveground plant traits. Despite the known effect of plant traits on the microbial community composition, their effects on the microbial functional diversity are only starting to be assessed. In this study, the phylogenetic structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities associated to plant species differing in life cycle and growth form, i.e. plant life forms, was determined to unravel the effect of plant traits on the functional diversity of this fungal group. The results of the 454-pyrosenquencing showed that the AM fungal community composition differed across plant life forms and this effect was dependent on the soil collection date. Plants with ruderal characteristics tended to associate with phylogenetically clustered AM fungal communities. By contrast, plants with resource-conservative traits associated with phylogenetically over-dispersed AM fungal communities. Additionally, the soil collected in different seasons yielded AM fungal communities with different phylogenetic dispersion. In summary, we found that the phylogenetic structure, and hence the functional diversity, of AM fungal communities is dependent on plant traits. This finding adds value to the use of plant traits for the evaluation of belowground ecosystem diversity, functions and processes.

传统上，生态系统功能多样性的研究多采用地上植物性状作为核心指标。尽管已有研究证实植物性状对微生物群落组成存在明确影响，但植物性状对微生物功能多样性的作用目前才刚刚开始得到评估。本研究针对生活周期与生长型存在差异的植物物种（即植物生活型（plant life forms））所关联的丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM）真菌群落的系统发育结构展开分析，旨在阐明植物性状对该真菌类群功能多样性的调控效应。454焦磷酸测序（454-pyrosequencing）结果显示，不同植物生活型对应的AM真菌群落组成存在显著差异，且该效应依赖于土壤采样时间。具有杂草型性状的植物，往往与呈系统发育聚集状态的AM真菌群落形成共生关联；与之相反，具有资源保守型性状的植物，则与呈系统发育过度分散特征的AM真菌群落形成共生关联。此外，不同季节采集的土壤所孕育的AM真菌群落，其系统发育分散程度也存在显著差异。综上，本研究发现AM真菌群落的系统发育结构（进而其功能多样性）取决于植物性状。该研究结果为利用植物性状评估地下生态系统多样性、功能与过程提供了重要支撑。