Loss of functional diversity and network modularity in introduced plant-fungal symbioses.

ABSTRACT: The introduction of alien plants into a new range can result in the loss of co-evolved symbiotic organisms, such as mycorrhizal fungi, that are essential for normal plant physiological functions. Prior studies of mycorrhizal associations in alien plants have tended to focus on individual plant species on a case-by-case basis. This approach limits broad scale understanding of functional shifts and changes in interaction network structure that may occur following introduction. Here we use two extensive datasets of plant-fungal interactions derived from fungal sporocarp observations and recorded plant hosts in two island archipelago nations: New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom (UK). We found that the NZ dataset shows a lower functional diversity of fungal hyphal foraging strategies in myc

SUBMITTER: Dickie IA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5391694 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature