Leaf endophytic fungus interacts with precipitation to alter belowground microbial communities in primary successional dunes.

ABSTRACT: Understanding interactions between above- and belowground components of ecosystems is an important next step in community ecology. These interactions may be fundamental to predicting ecological responses to global change because indirect effects occurring through altered species interactions can outweigh or interact with the direct effects of environmental drivers. In a multiyear field experiment (2010-2015), we tested how experimental addition of a mutualistic leaf endophyte (Epichloë amarillans) associated with American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata) interacted with an altered precipitation regime (±30%) to affect the belowground microbial community. Epichloë addition increased host root biomass at the plot scale, but reduced the length of extraradical arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) f

SUBMITTER: Bell-Dereske L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5827620 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature