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Competition-colonization tradeoffs structure fungal diversity
Gabriel R Smith1, Brian S Steidinger2, Thomas D Bruns3
1Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. grsmith@stanford.edu.
The ISME Journal
|March 2, 2018
Summary
Competition-colonization tradeoffs explain microbial diversity. These trade-offs help maintain the richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi, crucial for global carbon dynamics and plant ecology.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Microbial Ecology
- Mycology
Background:
- Microbial diversity appears high, yet functional redundancy suggests limited coexistence due to competitive exclusion.
- Understanding mechanisms maintaining microbial richness is vital, especially for ectomycorrhizal fungi impacting biogeochemical cycles.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how competition-colonization tradeoffs influence microbial community assembly.
- Determine if these tradeoffs structure ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity in situ.
- Assess the predictive power of competition-colonization tradeoffs for species-area relationships.
Main Methods:
- Synthesized ecological theory with a decade of empirical research at a dedicated study site.
- Focused on ectomycorrhizal fungi, a key group of eukaryotic microbes and plant mutualists.
- Developed and calibrated models using empirically derived competition-colonization tradeoffs.
Main Results:
- Competition-colonization tradeoffs were found to structure ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity in situ.
- Models based solely on these tradeoffs accurately predicted species-area relationships.
- Evidence suggests these tradeoffs sustain landscape-scale microbial diversity.
Conclusions:
- Competition-colonization tradeoffs are a key mechanism maintaining microbial diversity.
- These tradeoffs are critical for understanding the ecology of ectomycorrhizal fungi and their role in ecosystems.
- Findings support the role of ecological trade-offs in microbial community assembly.
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