Free‐air CO2enrichment (FACE) experiments have elucidated how climate change affects plant physiology and production. However, we lack a predictive understanding of how climate change alters interactions between plants and endophytes, critical microbial mediators of plant physiology and ecology. We leveraged the SoyFACE facility to examine how elevated [CO2] affected soybean (
As CO2levels in Earth’s atmosphere and oceans steadily rise, varying organismal responses may produce ecological losers and winners. Increased ocean CO2can enhance seagrass productivity and thermal tolerance, providing some compensation for climate warming. However, the metabolic shifts driving the positive response to elevated CO2by these important ecosystem engineers remain unknown. We analyzed whole-plant performance and metabolic profiles of two geographically distinct eelgrass (
- Award ID(s):
- 1635403
- NSF-PAR ID:
- 10154404
- Publisher / Repository:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Scientific Reports
- Volume:
- 10
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-2322
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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Abstract Glycine max) leaf endophyte communities in the field. Endophyte community composition changed under elevated [CO2], including a decrease in the abundance of a common endophyte,Methylobacterium sp. Moreover,Methylobacterium abundance was negatively correlated with co‐occurring fungal endophytes. We then assessed howMethylobacterium affected the growth of co‐occurring endophytic fungi in vitro.Methylobacterium antagonized most co‐occurring fungal endophytes in vitro, particularly when it was more established in culture before fungal introduction. Variation in fungal response toMethylobacterium within a single fungal operational taxonomic unit (OTU) was comparable to inter‐OTU variation. Finally, fungi isolated from elevated vs. ambient [CO2] plots differed in colony growth and response toMethylobacterium , suggesting that increasing [CO2] may affect fungal traits and interactions within the microbiome. By combining in situ and in vitro studies, we show that elevated [CO2] decreases the abundance of a common bacterial endophyte that interacts strongly with co‐occurring fungal endophytes. We suggest that endophyte responses to global climate change will have important but largely unexplored implications for both agricultural and natural systems. -
Abstract Plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) are increasing in distribution and abundance in drylands worldwide, but the underlying drivers remain unknown. We investigate the impacts of extreme drought and CO2enrichment on the competitive relationships between seedlings of
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Abstract Understanding the ecological interactions that enhance the resilience of threatened ecosystems is essential in assuring their conservation and restoration. Top‐down trophic interactions can increase resilience to bottom‐up nutrient enrichment, however, as many seagrass ecosystems are threatened by both eutrophication and trophic modifications, understanding how these processes interact is important. Using a combination of approaches, we explored how bottom‐up and top‐down processes, acting individually or in conjunction, can affect eelgrass meadows and associated communities in the northern Baltic Sea. Field surveys along with fish diet and stable isotope analyses revealed that the eelgrass trophic network included two main top predatory fish species, each of which feeds on a separate group of invertebrate mesograzers (crustaceans or gastropods). Mesograzer abundance in the study area was high, and capable of mitigating the effects of increased algal biomass that resulted from experimental nutrient enrichment in the field. When crustacean mesograzers were experimentally excluded, gastropod mesograzers were able to compensate and limit the effects of nutrient enrichment on eelgrass biomass and growth. Our results suggest that top‐down processes (i.e., suppression of algae by different mesograzer groups) may ensure eelgrass resilience to nutrient enrichment in the northern Baltic Sea, and the existence of multiple trophic pathways can provide additional resilience in the face of trophic modifications. However, the future resilience of these meadows is likely threatened by additional local stressors and global environmental change. Understanding the trophic links and interactions that ensure resilience is essential for managing and conserving these important ecosystems and the services they provide.
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Summary Foliar stomatal movements are critical for regulating plant water loss and gas exchange. Elevated carbon dioxide (
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