Data from: Shifts in plant community composition weaken the negative effect of nitrogen addition on community-level arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization
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May 08, 2020 version files 11.13 KB
Abstract
Nitrogen addition affects plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
(AMF) association greatly. However, although the direct effect of
nitrogen addition on AMF colonization has received investigation, its
indirect effect through shifts in plant community composition has
never been quantified. Based on a 7-year nitrogen addition experiment
in an alpine meadow of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, we investigated the
effects of nitrogen addition on both plant community, AMF diversity
and colonization, and disentangled the direct and indirect effects of
nitrogen addition on community AMF colonization. At plant species
level, nitrogen addition significantly decreased root colonization
rate and altered AMF community composition, but with no significant
effect on AMF richness. At plant community level, plant species
richness and AMF colonization rate decreased with nitrogen addition.
Plant species increasing in abundance after nitrogen addition were
those with higher AMF colonization rates in natural conditions,
resulting in an increased indirect effect induced by alternation in
plant community composition with nitrogen addition, whereas the direct
effect was negative and decreased with nitrogen addition. Overall, we
illustrated the effect of nitrogen addition and plant species in
influencing the AMF diversity, and demonstrated how shifts in plant
community composition (indirect effect) weakened the negative direct
effect of nitrogen addition on community-level AMF colonization rate,
and emphasized the importance of plant community-mediated mechanisms
in regulating ecosystem functions.