Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (预发表): 1-0.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2024.0118  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2024.0118

   

Community assembly of belowground fungi in Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations: Influence of stand age and niche

Pei-Shan ZHAO1,Guang-Lei GAO2,Guo DongDing3,Ying ZHANG1   

  1. 1. School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University
    2.
    3. College of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University
  • Received:2024-04-19 Revised:2024-09-05 Online:2025-02-20 Published:2024-09-29
  • Contact: Guang-Lei GAO

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Abstract:

Aims  Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica, an evergreen coniferous tree species, plays a pivotal role in ecological restoration efforts in the deserts of northern China. This study aimed to elucidate the community assembly of belowground fungi and the intricate relationships between P. sylvestris var. mongolica and fungi in P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations. The findings would provide the novel microbial perspectives for sustainable management strategies of P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations.

Methods  Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations of different stand ages (26 a, 37 a, and 46 a) in the Hulun Buir Sandy Land were selected to examine the diversity, composition and assembly pattern of root-associated fungi (RAF), rhizosphere soil fungi (RhSF) and non-rhizosphere soil fungi (NRhSF).

Important findings  (1) Stand ages and niches significantly influenced fungal diversity. The fungal community richness and diversity indices ranked as follows: 46 a > 26 a > 37 a, and the dissimilarity gradually increased with the increase of the stand age. Among the different niches, the richness, diversity indexes, and dissimilarity were the highest in NRhSF, the middle in RhSF and the lowest in RAF. (2) The belowground fungi were assigned to 14 phyla and 592 genera. The belowground fungal communities of 26 a, 37 a, and 46 a plantations had 3, 1, and 5 abundant genera respectively, and they had symbiotic capability of endophytic or ectomycorrhizal fungi. RAF, RhSF, and NRhSF had 3, 8, and 5 abundant genera, respectively, and the proportions of Mortierellomycota and saprotrophic fungi increased from root to soil. (3) The primary assembly processes of belowground fungal communities were the dispersal limitation (63.54%), drift (22.06%) and homogeneous selection (12.90%). Stand age significantly correlated with structure of belowground fungi. Soil total nitrogen content, soil total nitrogen and phosphorus content, and soil organic matter content were the main factors influencing RAF, RhSF, and NRhSF, respectively. This study highlights temporal and spatial heterogeneity of fungal community diversity and composition in P. sylvestris var. mongolica plantations. Stochastic processes mainly were dispersal limitations, shaping these communities, while the deterministic processes were influenced by host selection and environmental filtering.

Key words: Pinus syivestris var. mongolica, Plant–microbiome interactions, Stand age, Niche, Fungal function

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