Soil fungal abundance and plant functional traits drive fertile island formation in global drylands
Ochoa-Hueso, Raúl | Eldridge, David J. | Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel | Soliveres, Santiago | Bowker, Matthew A. | Gross, Nicolas | Bagousse-Pinguet, Juan | Quero, José L. | García-Gómez, Juan | Valencia, Juan | Arredondo, Tulio | Beinticinco, Laura | Bran, Donaldo | Cea, Alex | Coaguila, Daniel | Dougill, Andrew J. | Espinosa, Carlos I. | Gaitán, Juan | Guuroh, Reginald T. | Guzman, Eli | Gutiérrez, Julio R. | Hernández, Rosa M. | Huber-Sannwald, Eli | Jeffries, Thomas | Linstädter, Anja | Mau, Rebecca L. | Monerris, Jorge | Prina, Aníbal | Pucheta, Eduardo | Stavi, Ilan | Thomas, Andrew D. | Zaady, Eli | Singh, Brajesh K. | Maestre, Fernando T. | Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) | School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences [Sydney] (BEES) ; University of New South Wales [Sydney] (UNSW) | Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) ; University of Colorado [Boulder]-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) | Universidad Rey Juan Carlos = Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) | Institute of Plant Sciences ; Universität Bern = University of Bern = Université de Berne (UNIBE) | Northern Arizona University [Flagstaff] | Centre d'Études Biologiques de Chizé - UMR 7372 (CEBC) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-La Rochelle Université (ULR)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Universidad de Córdoba = University of Córdoba [Córdoba] | Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi [México] (UASLP) | Universidad Nacional de lLa Pampa (UNLPam) | Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Carlos de Bariloche, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina ; Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA) | Departamento de Biología [Casilla] ; Universidad de La Serena (USERENA) | Instituto Regional de Ciencias Ambientales (IRECA) ; Universidad Nacional de San Agustín (UNSA) | School of Earth and Environment [Leeds] (SEE) ; University of Leeds | Departamento de Ciencias Naturales [Loja] ; Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) | Instituto de Suelos | Botanical Institute ; Universität zu Köln = University of Cologne | Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL) | Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Aridas (CEAZA) | Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB) | Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica [Caracas] ; Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez [Caracas] (UNESR) | Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment [Richmond] (HIE) ; Western Sydney University | Département des Sciences Biologiques [Montréal] ; Université du Québec à Montréal = University of Québec in Montréal (UQAM) | Facultad de Agronomía [La Pampa] ; Universidad Nacional de lLa Pampa (UNLPam) | Universidad Nacional de San Juan [Argentine] (UNSJ) | Dead Sea-Arava Science Center (DSASC) | Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (DGES) ; Aberystwyth University | Gilat Research Center | Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation ; Western Sydney University | Departamento de Biología y Geología [Mostoles] ; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos = Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC) | AgreenSkills grant agreement no. 609398 | European Project: 242658,EC:FP7:ERC,ERC-2009-StG,BIOCOM(2010)
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Показать больше [+] Меньше [-]Английский. 1.Dryland vegetation is characterised by discrete plant patches that accumulate and capture soil resources under their canopies. These “fertile islands” are major drivers of dryland ecosystem structure and functioning, yet we lack an integrated understanding of the factors controlling their magnitude and variability at the global scale.2.We conducted a standardized field survey across two hundred and thirty-six drylands from five continents. At each site, we measured the composition, diversity and cover of perennial plants. Fertile island effects were estimated at each site by comparing composite soil samples obtained under the canopy of the dominant plants and in open areas devoid of perennial vegetation. For each sample, we measured fifteen soil variables (functions) associated with carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycling and used the Relative Interaction Index to quantify the magnitude of the fertile island effect for each function. In eighty sites, we also measured fungal and bacterial abundance (quantitative PCR) and diversity (Illumina MiSeq).3.The most fertile islands, i.e. those where a higher number of functions were simultaneously enhanced, were found at lower-elevation sites with greater soil pH values and sand content under semiarid climates, particularly at locations where the presence of tall woody species with a low specific leaf area increased fungal abundance beneath plant canopies, the main direct biotic controller of the fertile island effect in the drylands studied. Positive effects of fungal abundance were particularly associated with greater nutrient contents and microbial activity (soil extracellular enzymes) under plant canopies.4.Synthesis. Our results show that the formation of fertile islands in global drylands largely depends on: (i) local climatic, topographic and edaphic characteristics, (ii) the structure and traits of local plant communities and (iii) soil microbial communities. Our study also has broad implications for the management and restoration of dryland ecosystems worldwide, where woody plants are commonly used as nurse plants to enhance the establishment and survival of beneficiary species. Finally, our results suggest that forecasted increases in aridity may enhance the formation of fertile islands in drylands worldwide.
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