Leaf and root-associated fungal assemblages do not follow similar elevational diversity patterns.

ABSTRACT: The diversity of fungi along environmental gradients has been little explored in contrast to plants and animals. Consequently, environmental factors influencing the composition of fungal assemblages are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to determine whether the diversity and composition of leaf and root-associated fungal assemblages vary with elevation and to investigate potential explanatory variables. High-throughput sequencing of the Internal Transcribed Spacer 1 region was used to explore fungal assemblages along three elevation gradients, located in French mountainous regions. Beech forest was selected as a study system to minimise the host effect. The variation in species richness and specific composition was investigated for ascomycetes and basidiomycetes assemblages with

SUBMITTER: Coince A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4074112 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature