Elevation and plant species identity jointly shape a diverse arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in the High Arctic.

ABSTRACT: Knowledge about the distribution and local diversity patterns of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are limited for extreme environments such as the Arctic, where most studies have focused on spore morphology or root colonization. We here studied the joint effects of plant species identity and elevation on AM fungal distribution and diversity. We sampled roots of 19 plant species in 18 locations in Northeast Greenland, using next generation sequencing to identify AM fungi. We studied the joint effect of plant species, elevation and selected abiotic conditions on AM fungal presence, richness and composition. We identified 29 AM fungal virtual taxa (VT), of which six represent putatively new VT. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal presence increased with elevation, and as vegetation cover and the a

SUBMITTER: Rasmussen PU 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9796444 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature