A strong species-area relationship for eukaryotic soil microbes: island size matters for ectomycorrhizal fungi

Authors: Peay, Kabir G.; Bruns, Thomas D.; Kennedy, Peter G.¹; Bergemann, Sarah E.²; Garbelotto, Matteo²

Source: Ecology Letters, Volume 10, Number 6, June 2007 , pp. 470-480(11)

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Abstract:

While the effects of habitat size and isolation have been successfully studied for macro-organisms, there is currently debate about their relative importance in explaining patterns of microbial species richness. In this study, we examine the species richness of a dominant group of eukaryotic soil microbes, ectomycorrhizal fungi, on `tree islands' of constant age and host composition that range in size from < 10 to > 10 000 m². Our results show that ectomycorrhizal species richness is significantly reduced on smaller and more isolated tree islands, and the species-area slope that we observe (0.20-0.23) is similar to average slopes reported for macro-organisms. Additionally, species' occurrence patterns across tree islands and investment trends in fungal fruit bodies suggest that a trade-off between competition and dispersal could play an important role in structuring ectomycorrhizal assemblages.

Keywords: Baas-Becking; biogeography; competition; dispersal; ectomycorrhiza; fungi; microbe; species-area; trade-off

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2007.01035.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA 2: Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA

Publication date: 2007-06-01