Abstract
The microbes contained within free-living organisms can alter host growth, reproduction, and interactions with the environment. In turn, processes occurring at larger scales determine the local biotic and abiotic environment of each host that may affect the diversity and composition of the microbiome community. Here, we examine variation in the diversity and composition of the foliar fungal microbiome in the grass host, Andropogon gerardii, across four mesic prairies in the central United States. Composition of fungal endophyte communities differed among sites and among individuals within a site, but was not consistently affected by experimental manipulation of nutrient supply to hosts (A. gerardii) or herbivore reduction via fencing. In contrast, mean fungal diversity was similar among sites but was limited by total plant biomass at the plot scale. Our work demonstrates that distributed experiments motivated by ecological theory are a powerful tool to unravel the multiscale processes governing microbial community composition and diversity.
Original language | English (US) |
---|---|
Article number | e02758 |
Journal | Ecology |
Volume | 100 |
Issue number | 9 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Sep 1 2019 |
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Keywords
- Nutrient Network
- biodiversity
- community ecology
- grasslands
- microbiome
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
Cite this
Effects of nutrient supply, herbivory, and host community on fungal endophyte diversity. / Seabloom, Eric; Condon, Bradford; Kinkel, Linda L; Komatsu, Kimberly J.; Lumibao, Candice Y.; May, Georgiana; McCulley, Rebecca L.; Borer, Elizabeth.
In: Ecology, Vol. 100, No. 9, e02758, 01.09.2019.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of nutrient supply, herbivory, and host community on fungal endophyte diversity
AU - Seabloom, Eric
AU - Condon, Bradford
AU - Kinkel, Linda L
AU - Komatsu, Kimberly J.
AU - Lumibao, Candice Y.
AU - May, Georgiana
AU - McCulley, Rebecca L.
AU - Borer, Elizabeth
PY - 2019/9/1
Y1 - 2019/9/1
N2 - The microbes contained within free-living organisms can alter host growth, reproduction, and interactions with the environment. In turn, processes occurring at larger scales determine the local biotic and abiotic environment of each host that may affect the diversity and composition of the microbiome community. Here, we examine variation in the diversity and composition of the foliar fungal microbiome in the grass host, Andropogon gerardii, across four mesic prairies in the central United States. Composition of fungal endophyte communities differed among sites and among individuals within a site, but was not consistently affected by experimental manipulation of nutrient supply to hosts (A. gerardii) or herbivore reduction via fencing. In contrast, mean fungal diversity was similar among sites but was limited by total plant biomass at the plot scale. Our work demonstrates that distributed experiments motivated by ecological theory are a powerful tool to unravel the multiscale processes governing microbial community composition and diversity.
AB - The microbes contained within free-living organisms can alter host growth, reproduction, and interactions with the environment. In turn, processes occurring at larger scales determine the local biotic and abiotic environment of each host that may affect the diversity and composition of the microbiome community. Here, we examine variation in the diversity and composition of the foliar fungal microbiome in the grass host, Andropogon gerardii, across four mesic prairies in the central United States. Composition of fungal endophyte communities differed among sites and among individuals within a site, but was not consistently affected by experimental manipulation of nutrient supply to hosts (A. gerardii) or herbivore reduction via fencing. In contrast, mean fungal diversity was similar among sites but was limited by total plant biomass at the plot scale. Our work demonstrates that distributed experiments motivated by ecological theory are a powerful tool to unravel the multiscale processes governing microbial community composition and diversity.
KW - Nutrient Network
KW - biodiversity
KW - community ecology
KW - grasslands
KW - microbiome
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85071783639&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85071783639&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/ecy.2758
DO - 10.1002/ecy.2758
M3 - Article
C2 - 31306499
AN - SCOPUS:85071783639
VL - 100
JO - Ecology
JF - Ecology
SN - 0012-9658
IS - 9
M1 - e02758
ER -