Plant species distributions along environmental gradients: do belowground interactions with fungi matter?

摘要: The distribution of plants along environmental gradients is constrained by abiotic and biotic factors. Cumulative evidence attests the impact factors on plant distributions, but only few studies discuss role belowground communities. Soil fungi, in particular, are thought to play an important how species assemble locally into We first review existing evidence, then test effect number soil fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) distributions using a recently collected dataset metagenomic information fungi Western Swiss Alps. Using models (SDMs), we investigated whether individual correlated OTUs two classes known interact with plants: Glomeromycetes, that obligatory symbionts plants, Agaricomycetes, may be facultative symbionts, pathogens, or wood decayers. show including richness improves predictive accuracy. Number especially high elevation species. suggest greater variation assemblages turn turnover among finally move beyond correlative analyses, through design field experiments manipulating communities gradients.