Abstract
While the effects of habitat size and isolation have been successfully studied for macro-organisms, there is currently debate about their relative importance in explaining patterns of microbial species richness. In this study, we examine the species richness of a dominant group of eukaryotic soil microbes, ectomycorrhizal fungi, on 'tree islands' of constant age and host composition that range in size from < 10 to > 10 000 m2. Our results show that ectomycorrhizal species richness is significantly reduced on smaller and more isolated tree islands, and the species-area slope that we observe (0.20-0.23) is similar to average slopes reported for macro-organisms. Additionally, species' occurrence patterns across tree islands and investment trends in fungal fruit bodies suggest that a trade-off between competition and dispersal could play an important role in structuring ectomycorrhizal assemblages.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 470-480 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | Ecology letters |
Volume | 10 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2007 |
Keywords
- Baas-Becking
- Biogeography
- Competition
- Dispersal
- Ectomycorrhiza
- Fungi
- Microbe
- Species-area
- Trade-off