Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2022, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (7): 823-833.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2021.0200

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Soil fungal community characteristics at the upper and lower altitudinal range limits of Cephalostachyum pingbianense

XIA Ti-Ze1,2, LI Lu-Shuang1, YANG Han-Qi1,*()   

  1. 1Institute of Highland Forest Science, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650233, China
    2College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
  • Received:2021-05-26 Accepted:2021-10-18 Online:2022-07-20 Published:2021-12-16
  • Contact: YANG Han-Qi
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China(31870574)

Abstract:

Aims The formation of the geographical range boundary of species has always been an important topic in evolutionary biology. Although plant-microbe interactions have been extensively studied, we have a poor understanding of how plant's geographic range limits affect soil microorganisms. Cephalostachyum pingbianense is a rare bamboo species documented that produces bamboo shoots all year round in the wild, and is endemic to southeast Yunnan Province, China. The species is of great significance to study narrow endemic species in Bambusoideae. Here, we aim to reveal the relationship between the range limits of C. pingbianenseand soil fungal community.

Methods We assayed soil physical and chemical properties at the center, edge and beyond the range of C. pingbianense, and changes of fungal community were analyzed by means of Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequence based Illumina MiSeq high-throughput sequencing techniques.

Important findings (1) Soil pH and available phosphorus content at the range edges was significantly lower than other sites. (2) At the range center, species diversity of soil fungi was the highest, and relative abundance of Mortierella was significantly higher than other sites. At the range edges, species diversity of soil fungi was the lowest, and relative abundance of Basidiomycota was greater than 65.0%. (3) Soil pH played a crucial role in driving the variation of fungal community, which was negatively correlated with the relative abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi, and positively correlated with the relative abundance of saprophytic fungi. Soil acidification and phosphorus deficiency may be important soil properties controlling the distribution range of C. pingbianense. Mortierella may be important mutualists of C. pingbianense, which can desorb phosphorus from soil minerals and reduce acidification of soil.

Key words: Cephalostachyum pingbianense, range limit, soil physicochemical properties, fungi, Mortierella