Elevation Matters More than Season in Shaping the Heterogeneity of Soil and Root Associated Ectomycorrhizal Fungal Community
Sai Gong, Bang Feng, Si-Peng Jian, Geng-Shen Wang, Zai-Wei Ge, Zhu L. Yang
Abstract
Altitude and season represent two important environmental gradients that shape the structure of biome, including the heterogeneity of EcM fungi. Previous studies have separately considered the influences of altitude and season on EcM fungal communities, but the relative importance of altitude and season is still unknown. The present study revealed that elevation influences the heterogeneity of EcM fungal community more than season; this may be because the variability of environmental factors is higher across different elevations than that across seasons.
Topics & Concepts
Species richnessEdaphicAltitude (triangle)EcologyBiomeElevation (ballistics)Community structureSpatial heterogeneityBiologyEcosystemGrowing seasonPlant communityBiodiversityGeographySoil waterGeometryMathematicsMycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsForest Ecology and Biodiversity StudiesEcology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies