Data associated with "Increasing phylogenetic clustering of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in roots explains enhanced plant growth and phosphorus uptake

Temporal aspects of the assembly of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities within plant roots have been posited as critical drivers of the plant-fungal symbiotic outcomes. However, the functional implications of these dynamics remain poorly understood. We conducted a controlled pot experiment with <i>Sorghum bicolor</i> to investigate how temporal shifts in AM fungal community composition and phylogenetic diversity influence plant growth and phosphorus responses to the symbiosis. We characterised the root-colonising AM fungal communities across three time points. Joint species distribution modelling with Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC) framework revealed a strong phylogenetic signal, indicating that temporal changes in AM fungal communities were closely linked to their phylogenetic relatedness. The temporal phylogenetic clustering of AM fungal communities coincided with marked increases in plant biomass and phosphorus responses to the AM fungal symbiosis, suggesting that host filtering of specific fungi was a key determinant of these benefits. Our findings provide compelling evidence that the temporal phylogenetic structuring of AM fungal communities, driven by host-mediated environmental filtering, is important in shaping the functional benefits conferred by the symbiosis. This study advances our understanding of the ecological mechanisms underpinning AM fungal community assembly and their implications for plant performance.

丛枝菌根（arbuscular mycorrhizal, AM）真菌群落在植物根系内的组装时序特征，此前被认为是调控植物-真菌共生结局的关键驱动因素。然而，这些动态过程的功能意义仍未得到充分阐释。本研究以高粱（Sorghum bicolor）为材料开展受控盆栽试验，旨在探究丛枝菌根真菌群落组成与系统发育多样性的时序变化如何影响植物生长及共生过程中的磷素响应。我们在三个时间节点对根系定殖的丛枝菌根真菌群落进行了表征。基于物种群落分层建模（Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities, HMSC）框架的联合物种分布建模分析显示，存在显著的系统发育信号，表明丛枝菌根真菌群落的时序变化与其系统发育亲缘关系密切相关。丛枝菌根真菌群落的时序系统发育聚集现象，与植物生物量及共生磷素响应的显著提升相契合，这提示特定真菌的宿主筛选是介导这些共生益处的关键决定因素。本研究结果提供了有力证据：由宿主介导的环境筛选所驱动的丛枝菌根真菌群落实时序系统发育结构，对于塑造该共生关系所赋予的功能益处具有重要意义。本研究增进了我们对丛枝菌根真菌群落组装背后的生态机制，及其对植物生长表现的影响的认知。