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Abstract Plant‐microbial‐herbivore interactions play a crucial role in the structuring and maintenance of plant communities and biodiversity, yet these relationships are complex. In grassland ecosystems, herbivores have the potential to greatly influence the survival, growth and reproduction of plants. However, few studies examine interactions of above‐ and below‐ground grazing and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) mycorrhizal symbiosis on plant community structure.We established experimental mesocosms containing an assemblage of eight tallgrass prairie grass and forb species in native prairie soil, maintained under mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal conditions, with and without native herbivorous soil nematodes, and with and without grasshopper herbivory. Using factorial analysis of variance and principal component analysis, we examined: (a) the independent and interacting effects of above‐ and below‐ground herbivores on AM symbiosis in tallgrass prairie mesocosms, (b) independent and interacting effects of above‐ and below‐ground herbivores and mycorrhizal fungi on plant community structure and (c) potential influences of mycorrhizal responsiveness of host plants on herbivory tolerance and concomitant shifts in plant community composition.Treatment effects were characterized by interactions between AM fungi and both above‐ground and below‐ground herbivores, while herbivore effects were additive. The dominance of mycorrhizal‐dependent C4grasses in the presence of AM symbiosis was increased (p < 0.0001) by grasshopper herbivory but reduced (p < 0.0001) by nematode herbivory. Cool‐season C3grasses exhibited a competitive release in the absence of AM symbiosis but this effect was largely reversed in the presence of grasshopper herbivory. Forbs showed species‐specific responses to both AM fungal inoculation and the addition of herbivores. Biomass of the grazing‐avoidant, facultatively mycotrophic forbBrickellia eupatorioidesincreased (p < 0.0001) in the absence of AM symbiosis and with grasshopper herbivory, while AM‐related increases in the above‐ground biomass of mycorrhizal‐dependent forbsRudbeckia hirtaandSalvia azureawere eradicated (p < 0.0001) by grasshopper herbivory. In contrast, nematode herbivory enhanced (p = 0.001) the contribution ofSalvia azureato total biomass.Synthesis. Our research indicates that arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is the key driver of dominance of C4grasses in the tallgrass prairie, with foliar and root herbivory being two mechanisms for maintenance of plant diversity.
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Mechanistic insights into plant community responses to environmental variables: genome size, cellular nutrient investments, and metabolic tradeoffs
Summary Affecting biodiversity, plants with larger genome sizes (GS) may be restricted in nutrient‐poor conditions. This pattern has been attributed to their greater cellular nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) investments and hypothesized nutrient–investment tradeoffs between cell synthesis and physiological attributes associated with growth. However, the influence of GS on cell size and functioning may also contribute to GS‐dependent growth responses to nutrients.To test whether and how GS is associated with cellular nutrient, stomata, and/or physiological attributes, we examined > 500 forbs and grasses from seven grassland sites conducting a long‐term N and P fertilization experiment.Larger GS plants had increased cellular nutrient contents and larger, but fewer stomata than smaller GS plants. Larger GS grasses (but not forbs) also had lower photosynthetic rates and water‐use efficiencies. However, nutrients had no direct effect on GS‐dependent physiological attributes and GS‐dependent physiological changes likely arise from how GS influences cells. At the driest sites, large GS grasses displayed high water‐use efficiency mostly because transpiration was reduced relative to photosynthesis in these conditions.We suggest that climatic conditions and GS‐associated cell traits that modify physiological responses, rather than resource–investment tradeoffs, largely explain GS‐dependent growth responses to nutrients (especially for grasses).
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- PAR ID:
- 10566039
- Editor(s):
- Hersch‐Green, Erika I; Hass, Hailee B; Smith, Nicholas G
- Publisher / Repository:
- The data that support the findings of this study are openly available on the Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) at: doi: 10.6073/pasta/38efe6bf0fdd5f0f7f6c22ff46cde50d and/or are available in the Supporting Information of this article. Code to reproduce results in R is freely available on GitHub:https://github.com/hpetosky/GenomeMetabolic.
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- New Phytologist
- ISSN:
- 0028-646X
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- climate genome size material costs nutrient enrichment photosynthesis stomata, transpiration water-use efficiency
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
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Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20374
