The mycorrhizal dependence of subordinates determines the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant diversity

By C. Urcelay, Sandra Díaz. 2003

127 citations recorded by the source corpus.

It is widely recognized that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) influence plant community structure. Several studies in the past few years have focused on the effect of AMF on plant diversity, showing contradictory results. On the basis of studies carried out in grasslands, it has been proposed that these results may not be in conflict but rather depend on mycorrhizal dependence of dominant and subordinate species in the plant community. Here, we propose a simple conceptual model to explain the effect of AMF on plant diversity and dominance hierarchy. Our model suggests that the effect of AMF on plant diversity can be explained mainly by mycorrhizal dependence of subordinates. It also gives predictions for a wider range of community types, and helps in identifying the systems in which empirical data are most critically needed.

Subfields: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/0ebc4ec494b7a99860d46bc499040fbd33c03104

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Citations in the corpus

Exploring functional definitions of mycorrhizas: Are mycorrhizas always mutualisms? (2004, background): “So far, the findings vary, with activity and (or) diversity of AM fungi sometimes associated with an increased diversity and (or) productivity of reconstructed plant communities and sometimes not (see Hartnett and Wilson 2002; Urcelay and Diaz 2003).”
Mycorrhizal diversity: Cause and effect? (2005, background): “Urcelay and Diaz (2003) propose a model in which a positive relationship between mycorrhizal colonization and plant diversity should occur in plant communities in which all species, or at least the subordinate species, exhibit a strong growth re- sponse to mycorrhizal colonization (high mycorrhizal…”
Plant functional types: are we getting any closer to the Holy Grail? (2007, background): “Princeton University Press, Princeton Urcelay CaSD (2003) The mycorrhizal dependence of subordinates determines the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant diversity.”
Mycorrhizal feedbacks generate positive frequency dependence accelerating grassland succession (2018, background): “…that include alternate forms of nutrients, as previous work has shown that AM fungi may be more or less beneficial when delivering different types of phosphorus to a host plant (Vogelsang et al., 2006) or if a plant is a dominant or subordinate species in the community (Urcelay & Diaz, 2003).”
Roles of arbuscular mycorrhizas in plant nutrition and growth: new paradigms from cellular to ecosystem scales. (2011, methodology): “, in terms of nutrient uptake or responses to competition) to a plant constitutively unable to form AM symbioses, as has—unsurprisingly—been done previously (149).”
Plant performance in stressful environments: interpreting new and established knowledge of the roles of arbuscular mycorrhizas (2009, background): “In more complex, but still rather artificial communities, outcomes may depend on the responsiveness of the dominant species (see Bergelson and Crawley 1988; Urcelay and Diaz 2003).”
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in two mangroves in South China (2010, background): “Furthermore, AMF can influence the composition and diversity of the plant community (van der Heijden 2002; Urcelay and Diaz 2003; Wolfe et al. 2006).”
Relationships among arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, vascular plants and environmental conditions in oak savannas (2004, background): “• Numbers of AMF and plant species at the point scale were positively correlated with each other and increased with soil texture/N content.”
Arbuscular mycorrhizae and terrestrial ecosystem processes (2004, background): “The direction and magnitude of the effect is hypothesized to be related to the relative mycorrhizal dependency of the dominant and subordinate plant species of a community (Urcelay & Díaz 2003).”