Precipitation shapes communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Tibetan alpine steppe.

ABSTRACT: Tibetan Plateau is one of the largest and most unique habitats for organisms including arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). However, it remains unclear how AMF communities respond to key environmental changes in this harsh environment. To test if precipitation could be a driving force in shaping AMF community structures at regional scale, we examined AMF communities associated with dominant plant species along a precipitation gradient in Tibetan alpine steppe. Rhizosphere soils were collected from five sites with annual precipitation decreasing from 400 to 50 mm. A total of 31 AMF operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified. AMF community composition varied significantly among sites, whereas AMF community composition did not vary among plant species. Path analysis revealed that preci

SUBMITTER: Zhang J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4802204 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature