Distinct responses of abundant and rare soil fungal communities to synergistic alien plant invasions

Abstract

Invasive plants pose a major threat to biodiversity and ecosystem stability. However, little is known about the assembly processes and interactions of soil fungal communities under co-invasion of alien plants. This study investigated the assembly processes and co-occurrence networks of different fungal taxa in invaded and non-invaded soils during the co-invasion of four invasive plants. The fungal community was composed of conditionally rare and abundant taxa (CRAT) and conditionally rare taxa (CRT). The alpha diversity of the CRAT was greater than that of the CRT, and plant co-invasion increased the alpha diversity. The network structure of the CRAT was more complex than that of the CRT, and plant co-invasion increased network complexity but decreased stability. Fungal community assembly was driven primarily by deterministic processes, with the relative deterministic effects of the CRAT being stronger than those of the CRT, and plant invasion enhanced the deterministic process. The niche breadth of the CRAT was narrower than that of the CRT, and the niche breadth of fungi was increased by plant co-invasion. The soil pH and the C to P ratio (C/P) were the important driving factors for community construction. The differences between the CRAT and CRT may indicate that they have different filtering mechanisms in response to the external environment. The co-invasion of four Asteraceae plants enhanced nutrient utilization efficiency of the soil microbial community, enabling them to successfully invade even under limited resource conditions.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

plant invasion / biodiversity / fungal community assembly / co-occurrence network / ecological niche breadth

Highlight

	● Plant co-invasion increased the alpha diversity and niche breadth of fungi.
	● Plant co-invasion increased network complexity but decreased stability.
	● Fungal community assembly was driven primarily by deterministic processes, and plant invasion enhanced the deterministic process.
	● The soil pH and the C to P ratio (C/P) were the important driving factors for community construction.

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