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Abstract:
Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal taxonomic, phylogenetic, and trait diversity (exploration types) were analyzed in
beech and conifer forests along a north-to-south gradient in
three biogeographic regions in Germany. The taxonomic
community structures of the ectomycorrhizal assemblages in
top soil were influenced by stand density and forest type, by
biogeographic environmental factors (soil physical properties,
temperature, and precipitation), and by nitrogen forms (amino
acids, ammonium, and nitrate). While α-diversity did not
differ between forest types, β-diversity increased, leading to
higher γ-diversity on the landscape level when both forest
types were present. The highest taxonomic diversity of EM was found in forests in cool, moist climate on clay and silty soils and the lowest in the forests in warm, dry climate on
sandy soils. In the region with higher taxonomic diversity,
phylogenetic clustering was found, but not trait clustering. In
the warm region, trait clustering occurred despite neutral
phylogenetic effects. These results suggest that different forest
types and favorable environmental conditions in forests
promote high EM species richness in top soil presumably with
both high functional diversity and phylogenetic redundancy,
while stressful environmental conditions lead to lower species richness and functional redundancy.
