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Mean spore size and shape in ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic assemblages show strong responses under resource constraints

Title data

Halbwachs, Hans ; Heilmann-Clausen, Jacob ; Bässler, Claus:
Mean spore size and shape in ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic assemblages show strong responses under resource constraints.
In: Fungal Ecology. Vol. 26 (2017) . - pp. 59-64.
ISSN 1754-5048
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.funeco.2016.12.001

Abstract in another language

Ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic agaricoid basidiomycetes show diverse morphological reproductive traits, a phenomenon which has been attributed to their different lifestyles. From previous studies, we know that such differences are also reflected in assembly formation. Regardless of these differences, and assuming that dispersal fitness, predominantly by air movement, is one of the prevalent factors in fungal lifecycles, spores of both guilds should become on average more elongate and smaller with resource depletion. In our study we defined resource depletion as the decrease of living and dead organic biomass due to climate constraints along an elevational gradient in the Bavarian Forest (Germany).
We found that spores of both guilds indeed become more elongate along the resource depletion gradient. Unexpectedly, the ectomycorrhizal assemblages showed larger spores under resource constraints, which could be a survivability trade-off. The spore trait syndrome responses to environmental constraints suggest ecological relevance, i.e. being advantageous in environments with patchily distributed resources.
To deepen our mechanistic understanding of the underlying patterns, we particularly recommend experiments (artificial resource gradient free of confounding effects such as climate), and application of genomics and transcriptomics for elucidating the evolution of spore morphology.

Further data

Item Type: Article in a journal
Refereed: Yes
Keywords: Fungi; Environmental filtering; Dispersal fitness; Resource depletion; Propagule traits; Spore survivability; Fungal guilds
Institutions of the University: Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Biology > Chair Fungal Ecology > Chair Fungal Ecology - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Claus Bässler
Research Institutions > Central research institutes > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER
Result of work at the UBT: No
DDC Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences, geology
500 Science > 570 Life sciences, biology
Date Deposited: 18 Nov 2024 08:42
Last Modified: 18 Nov 2024 08:42
URI: https://eref.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/91166