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开展。尽管学界已明确植物性状对微生物群落组成具有调控作用，但其对微生物功能多样性的影响仅在近年才开始得到评估。本研究针对生活周期与生长型（即植物生活型）存在差异的植物物种，解析其共生的丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM）真菌群落的系统发育结构，以揭示植物性状对该真菌类群功能多样性的调控效应。通过454焦磷酸测序（454-pyrosequencing）分析发现，丛枝菌根真菌群落组成随植物生活型存在显著差异，且该效应受土壤采样时间的影响。具有杂草型特征的植物倾向于与系统发育聚集的丛枝菌根真菌群落形成共生关系；与之相反，具备资源保守型性状的植物则与系统发育分散的丛枝菌根真菌群落相关联。此外，不同季节采集的土壤对应的丛枝菌根真菌群落具有不同的系统发育分散模式。综上，本研究证实丛枝菌根真菌群落的系统发育结构（进而其功能多样性）依赖于植物性状。这一发现为利用植物性状评估地下生态系统的多样性、功能与过程提供了重要的理论支撑。