Data from: Orchid mycorrhizal communities associated with Orchis italica are shaped by ecological factors and geographical gradients
Data files
Nov 22, 2024 version files 17.23 KB
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multivariate_analysis_data.csv
4.11 KB
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presence_absence_all_OTU.csv
4.76 KB
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proportion_OTU.csv
5.81 KB
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README.md
2.55 KB
Abstract
Aim: The influence of mutualists on plant distributions is only beginning to be understood. Orchids depend on orchid mycorrhizal (OrM) fungi to germinate, yet the distribution of OrM and how they vary according to both abiotic and biotic factors is unclear. We investigated the abundance and diversity of OrM communities associated with the Mediterranean orchid Orchis italica and quantified how they vary according to both geographical and ecological factors.
Location: Mediterranean Basin.
Taxon: Orchis italica Poir. (Orchidaceae)
Methods: We used metabarcoding of the ITS2 region to identify OrM fungi associated with adult individuals in 23 populations of O. italica across latitudinal and longitudinal gradients in the Mediterranean region. We used both multivariate analyses and Joint Species Distribution Models (JSDMs) based on geographical, climate, and soil variables to test how both common OrM fungi and their communities vary according to geographical and ecological factors.
Results: Eighty OrM Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were found associating with O. italica. However, five Tulasnellaceae OTUs and one Ceratobasidiaceae OTU were found in every population. Abundance of these taxa, as measured by number of reads, increased from west to east and decreased from south to north, indicating OrM abundance may be determined by geographical gradients. OrM community composition varied according to precipitation, annual mean temperature, and soil phosphorous content. JSDMs revealed there were both positive and negative co-occurrences among these ubiquitous OrM.
Main Conclusions: Despite associating with many OrM across its range, only six OrM were widespread, indicating that O. italica may be an apparent generalist in its association with OrM. Abundance of these OrM is determined by geographical gradients and ecological factors. This highlights the importance of quantifying the distribution of belowground mutualists in understanding the limits to plant distributions.
We have submitted our raw data (presence_absence_all_OTU.csv), presence and absence of all operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (proportion_OTU.csv), proportion of OTUs for each sampling point in a population, (multivariate_analysis_data.csv), population information, bio-climatic data and soil data for each population sampled.
Descriptions
presence_absence_all_OTU.csv
- population: population name of sampling point.
- population_code: population abbreviation which corresponds to Map in Fig. 1.
- region: region in which population was sampled.
- OTU1-OTU80: Orchid mycorrhizal fungal OTUs detected in Orchis italica roots.
proportion_OTU.csv
- numb_indv: Five replications per sampling population; code corresponds to Map in Fig. 1.
- lat: Latitude of sampling point.
- long: Longitude of sampling point.
- elevation: Elevation (m) of each sampling point/population.
- population: Each population has a unique code.
- numb_otu_n: Number of OTUs for each sampling point.
- numb_tul_n: Number of Tulasnellaceae OTUs.
- numb_cer: Number of Ceratobasidiaceae OTUs.
- numb_thele: Number of Thelephoraceae OTUs.
- other_ormf: Number of other orchid mycorrhizal OTUs.
- no_otu_n: No OTUs (80 total OTUs minus numb_otu_n.
proportion_OTU.csv
- population: population name for sampling point.
- code: population code corresponds to Map in Fig. 1.
- region: region in which population was sampled.
- N: The amount of available Nitrogen in the soil for each sampling point.
- Coarse_frag_eu23: Coarse fragment measure for each sampling point.
- K: K (Potassium) level for each sampling point..
- Silt: Silt level for each sampling point.
- P: Percentage Phosphorous level for each sampling point.
- pH: pH level for each sampling point.
- Sand_eu23_test: Percentage Sand for each sampling point.
- bio_1: Annual Mean Temperature.
- bio_2: Mean Diurnal Range (Mean of monthly (max temp - min temp)).
- bio_8: Mean Temperature of Wettest Quarter.
- bio_12: Annual Precipitation.
- bio_16: Precipitation of Wettest Quarter.
- bio_17: Precipitation of Driest Quarter.
- PCNM1: Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrices 1.
- PCNM2: Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrices 2.
- PCNM3: Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrices 3.
- PCNM4: Principal Coordinates of Neighbor Matrices 4.