Data from: Above- and belowground plant pathogens along elevational gradients: Patterns and potential mechanisms

Plant pathogens are important for community assembly and ecosystem
functioning and respond to a variety of abiotic and biotic factors, which
may change along elevational gradients. Thus, elevational gradients are a
valuable model system for exploring how environmental, plant community and
soil factors influence pathogen communities. Yet, how these factors
influence pathogens in natural ecosystems remains poorly understood. We
examined the dynamics of plant fungal pathogens along elevational
gradients, as well as the mechanisms shaping these dynamics, by combining
a field survey on the Tibetan Plateau with a global meta-analysis. In the
field survey, increasing elevation was associated with a decrease in soil
fungal pathogen richness but not in foliar fungal disease symptoms.
Elevation was primarily related to soil fungal pathogen richness through
abiotic factors, whereas no association was found between elevation and
foliar fungal diseases. The meta-analysis confirmed the generality of our
field survey results: elevation was associated with a decrease in soil
fungal pathogen richness, but it had no consistent relationship with
foliar fungal diseases or pathogens. Thus, above- and belowground plant
pathogen communities showed distinct elevational patterns, providing new
insights into underlying mechanisms.