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Qu ZL, Braima A, Liu B, Ma Y, Sun H. Soil Fungal Community Structure and Function Shift during a Disease-Driven Forest Succession. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0079522. [PMID: 36073819 PMCID: PMC9602832 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00795-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest succession is important for sustainable forest management in terrestrial ecosystems. However, knowledge about the response of soil microbes to forest disease-driven succession is limited. In this study, we investigated the soil fungal biomass, soil enzyme activity, and fungal community structure and function in forests suffering succession processes produced by pine wilt disease from conifer to broadleaved forests using Illumina Miseq sequencing coupled with FUNGuild analysis. The results showed that the broadleaved forest had the highest fungal biomass and soil enzyme activities in C, N, and S cycles, whereas the conifer forest had the highest enzyme activity in the P cycle. Along the succession, the fungal diversity and richness significantly increased (P < 0.05). The fungal communities were dominated by Ascomycota (42.0%), Basidiomycota (38.0%), and Mortierellomycota (9.5%), among which the abundance of Ascomycota significantly increased (P < 0.05), whereas that of Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota decreased (P < 0.05). The abundance of species Mortierella humilis, Lactarius salmonicolor, and Russula sanguinea decreased, whereas that of Mortierella minutissima increased (P < 0.05). The forests in different succession stages formed distinct fungal communities and functional structures (P < 0.05). Functionally, the saprotrophs, symbiotrophs, and pathotrophs were the dominant groups in the conifer, mixed, and broadleaved forests, respectively. Soil pH and soil organic carbon were the key factors influencing the fungal community and functional structures during the succession. These findings provide useful information for better understanding the plant-microbe interaction during forest succession caused by forest disease. IMPORTANCE The studies on soil fungal communities in disease-driven forest succession are rare. This study showed that during the disease-driven forest succession, the soil enzyme activity, soil fungal diversity, and biomass increased along succession. The disease-driven forest succession changed the soil fungal community structure and function, in which the symbiotrophs were the most dominant group along the succession. These findings provide useful information for better understanding the plant-microbe interaction during forest succession caused by forest disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-lei Qu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ahmed Braima
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- Yangzhou Polytechnic College, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yang Ma
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hui Sun
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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2
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Marčiulynienė D, Marčiulynas A, Mishcherikova V, Lynikienė J, Gedminas A, Franic I, Menkis A. Principal Drivers of Fungal Communities Associated with Needles, Shoots, Roots and Adjacent Soil of Pinus sylvestris. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8101112. [PMID: 36294677 PMCID: PMC9604598 DOI: 10.3390/jof8101112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The plant- and soil-associated microbial communities are critical to plant health and their resilience to stressors, such as drought, pathogens, and pest outbreaks. A better understanding of the structure of microbial communities and how they are affected by different environmental factors is needed to predict and manage ecosystem responses to climate change. In this study, we carried out a country-wide analysis of fungal communities associated with Pinus sylvestris growing under different environmental conditions. Needle, shoot, root, mineral, and organic soil samples were collected at 30 sites. By interconnecting the high-throughput sequencing data, environmental variables, and soil chemical properties, we were able to identify key factors that drive the diversity and composition of fungal communities associated with P. sylvestris. The fungal species richness and community composition were also found to be highly dependent on the site and the substrate they colonize. The results demonstrated that different functional tissues and the rhizosphere soil of P. sylvestris are associated with diverse fungal communities, which are driven by a combination of climatic (temperature and precipitation) and edaphic factors (soil pH), and stand characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Marčiulynienė
- Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų Str. 1, Girionys, 53101 Kaunas District, Lithuania; (A.M.); (V.M.); (J.L.); (A.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Adas Marčiulynas
- Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų Str. 1, Girionys, 53101 Kaunas District, Lithuania; (A.M.); (V.M.); (J.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Valeriia Mishcherikova
- Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų Str. 1, Girionys, 53101 Kaunas District, Lithuania; (A.M.); (V.M.); (J.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Jūratė Lynikienė
- Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų Str. 1, Girionys, 53101 Kaunas District, Lithuania; (A.M.); (V.M.); (J.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Artūras Gedminas
- Institute of Forestry, Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Liepų Str. 1, Girionys, 53101 Kaunas District, Lithuania; (A.M.); (V.M.); (J.L.); (A.G.)
| | - Iva Franic
- Department of Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 190, SE-23422 Lomma, Sweden;
| | - Audrius Menkis
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7026, SE-75007 Uppsala, Sweden;
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Wasyliw J, Fellrath EG, Pec GJ, Cale JA, Franklin J, Thomasson C, Erbilgin N, Karst J. Soil inoculation of lodgepole pine seedlings alters root‐associated fungal communities but does not improve seedling performance in beetle‐killed pine stands. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Wasyliw
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - Evan G. Fellrath
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - Gregory J. Pec
- Biology Department University of Nebraska at Kearney Kearney Nebraska United States 68849
| | - Jonathan A. Cale
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - James Franklin
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - Charlotte Thomasson
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E3
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4
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Kaishian PJ. Insects and their Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota, Fungi) of Lake Eustis and Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area: A case study on urbanization and diversity. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:16618-16633. [PMID: 34938461 PMCID: PMC8668729 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 08/15/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
A rapid biodiversity assessment of insects and associated Laboulbeniales fungi was conducted over the course of five nights in August, 2018, at two central Florida lakes: Lake Eustis and the nearby protected and restored National Natural Landmark, Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area (EMCA), which encompasses a portion of Lake Griffin. Lake Eustis was surveyed for Laboulbeniales in 1897 by mycologist Dr. Roland Thaxter but has not since been investigated. Because Lake Eustis has been urbanized, with the lake perimeter almost entirely altered by human development, the site offers a look into Laboulbeniales diversity across a 121-year timeline, before and after human development. By surveying Lake Eustis and EMCA, a modern case study comparison of Laboulbeniales and insect diversity between a developed and a protected and restored system is made. A total of 4022 insects were collected during the rapid assessment. Overall, insect abundance was greater at EMCA, with 3001 insects collected, than 1021 insects collected from Eustis. Although family-level insect richness was comparable between sites, with 55 families present at EMCA and 56 at Eustis, 529 out of 3001 (17.6%) of the insects collected at EMCA were hosts to parasitic Laboulbeniales fungi, whereas only 2 out of 1021 (0.19%) collected from Eustis were infected. A total of 16 species of Laboulbeniales found at EMCA compared with only one at Eustis. The current number of Laboulbeniales species documented at Eustis was incredibly depauperate compared with the 26 species and two varieties recorded by Thaxter in 1897. These findings suggest the possibility of utilizing Laboulbeniales as indicators of ecosystem health, and future research should investigate this question further. A figure displaying host-parasite records and a species list of Laboulbeniales are presented. Finally, updated occurrence records for species of Ceratomyces and Hydrophilomyces are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia J. Kaishian
- Department of Environmental and Forest BiologySUNY College of Environmental Science & ForestrySyracuseNew YorkUSA
- Department of Botany and Plant PathologyPurdue UniversityWest LafayetteIndianaUSA
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Veselá P, Vašutová M, Edwards-Jonášová M, Holub F, Fleischer P, Cudlín P. Management After Windstorm Affects the Composition of Ectomycorrhizal Symbionts of Regenerating Trees but Not Their Mycorrhizal Networks. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:641232. [PMID: 34054889 PMCID: PMC8160286 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.641232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Due to ongoing climate change, forests are expected to face significant disturbances more frequently than in the past. Appropriate management is intended to facilitate forest regeneration. Because European temperate forests mostly consist of trees associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, understanding their role in these disturbances is important to develop strategies to minimize their consequences and effectively restore forests. Our aim was to determine how traditional (EXT) and nonintervention (NEX) management in originally Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests with an admixture of European larch (Larix decidua) affect ECM fungal communities and the potential to interconnect different tree species via ECM networks 15 years after a windstorm. Ten plots in NEX and 10 plots in EXT with the co-occurrences of Norway spruce, European larch, and silver birch (Betula pendula) were selected, and a total of 57 ECM taxa were identified using ITS sequencing from ECM root tips. In both treatments, five ECM species associated with all the studied tree species dominated, with a total abundance of approximately 50% in the examined root samples. Because there were no significant differences between treatments in the number of ECM species associated with different tree species combinations in individual plots, we concluded that the management type did not have a significant effect on networking. However, management significantly affected the compositions of ECM symbionts of Norway spruce and European larch but not those of silver birch. Although this result is explained by the occurrence of seedlings and ECM propagules that were present in the original forest, the consequences are difficult to assess without knowledge of the ecology of different ECM symbionts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Veselá
- Department of Carbon Storage in the Landscape, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czechia
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Martina Vašutová
- Department of Carbon Storage in the Landscape, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Magda Edwards-Jonášová
- Department of Carbon Storage in the Landscape, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Filip Holub
- Department of Carbon Storage in the Landscape, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Peter Fleischer
- Department of Integrated Forest and Landscape Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Technical University in Zvolen, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Pavel Cudlín
- Department of Carbon Storage in the Landscape, Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, České Budějovice, Czechia
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Kohout P, Sudová R, Brabcová V, Vosolsobě S, Baldrian P, Albrechtová J. Forest Microhabitat Affects Succession of Fungal Communities on Decomposing Fine Tree Roots. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:541583. [PMID: 33584602 PMCID: PMC7876299 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.541583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Belowground litter derived from tree roots has been shown as a principal source of soil organic matter in coniferous forests. Fate of tree root necromass depends on fungal communities developing on the decaying roots. Local environmental conditions which affect composition of tree root mycobiome may also influence fungal communities developing on decaying tree roots. Here, we assessed fungal communities associated with decaying roots of Picea abies decomposing in three microhabitats: soil with no vegetation, soil with ericoid shrubs cover, and P. abies deadwood, for a 2-year period. Forest microhabitat showed stronger effect on structuring fungal communities associated with decaying roots compared to living roots. Some ericoid mycorrhizal fungi showed higher relative abundance on decaying roots in soils under ericoid shrub cover, while saprotrophic fungi had higher relative abundance in roots decomposing inside deadwood. Regardless of the studied microhabitat, we observed decline of ectomycorrhizal fungi and increase of endophytic fungi during root decomposition. Interestingly, we found substantially more fungal taxa with unknown ecology in late stages of root decomposition, indicating that highly decomposed roots may represent so far overlooked niche for soil fungi. Our study shows the importance of microhabitats on the fate of the decomposing spruce roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petr Kohout
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Radka Sudová
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czechia
| | - Vendula Brabcová
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Stanislav Vosolsobě
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Petr Baldrian
- Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jana Albrechtová
- Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czechia
- Department of Experimental Plant Biology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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7
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Rodriguez-Ramos JC, Cale JA, Cahill JF, Simard SW, Karst J, Erbilgin N. Changes in soil fungal community composition depend on functional group and forest disturbance type. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1105-1117. [PMID: 32557647 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Disturbances have altered community dynamics in boreal forests with unknown consequences for belowground ecological processes. Soil fungi are particularly sensitive to such disturbances; however, the individual response of fungal guilds to different disturbance types is poorly understood. Here, we profiled soil fungal communities in lodgepole pine forests following a bark beetle outbreak, wildfire, clear-cut logging, and salvage-logging. Using Illumina MiSeq to sequence ITS1 and SSU rDNA, we characterized communities of ectomycorrhizal, arbuscular mycorrhizal, saprotrophic, and pathogenic fungi in sites representing each disturbance type paired with intact forests. We also quantified soil fungal biomass by measuring ergosterol. Abiotic disturbances changed the community composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi and shifted the dominance from ectomycorrhizal to saprotrophic fungi compared to intact forests. The disruption of the soil organic layer with disturbances correlated with the decline of ectomycorrhizal and the increase of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Wildfire changed the community composition of pathogenic fungi but did not affect their proportion and diversity. Fungal biomass declined with disturbances that disrupted the forest floor. Our results suggest that the disruption of the forest floor with disturbances, and the changes in C and nutrient dynamics it may promote, structure the fungal community with implications for fungal biomass-C.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jonathan A Cale
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Suzanne W Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
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8
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Pec GJ, Simard SW, Cahill JF, Karst J. The effects of ectomycorrhizal fungal networks on seedling establishment are contingent on species and severity of overstorey mortality. MYCORRHIZA 2020; 30:173-183. [PMID: 32088844 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-020-00940-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
For tree seedlings in boreal forests, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal networks may promote, while root competition may impede establishment. Thus, disruption to EM fungal networks may decrease seedling establishment owing to the loss of positive interactions among neighbors. Widespread tree mortality can disrupt EM networks, but it is not clear whether seedling establishment will be limited by the loss of positive interactions or increased by the loss of negative interactions with surrounding roots. Depending upon the relative influence of these mechanisms, widespread tree mortality may have complicated consequences on seedling establishment, and in turn, the composition of future forests. To discern between these possible outcomes and the drivers of seedling establishment, we determined the relative importance of EM fungal networks, root presence, and the bulk soil on the establishment of lodgepole pine and white spruce seedlings along a gradient of beetle-induced tree mortality. We manipulated seedling contact with EM fungal networks and roots through the use of mesh-fabric cylinders installed in soils of lodgepole pine forests experiencing a range of overstorey tree mortality caused by mountain pine beetle. Lodgepole pine seedling survival was higher with access to EM fungal networks in undisturbed pine forests in comparison with that in beetle-killed stands. That is, overstorey tree mortality shifted fungal networks from being a benefit to a cost on seedling survival. In contrast, overstorey tree mortality did not change the relative strength of EM fungal networks, root presence and the bulk soil on survival and biomass of white spruce seedlings. Furthermore, the relative influence of EM fungal networks, root presence, and bulk soils on foliar N and P concentrations was highly contingent on seedling species and overstorey tree mortality. Our results highlight that following large-scale insect outbreak, soil-mediated processes can enable differential population growth of two common conifer species, which may result in species replacement in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Pec
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada.
- Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Kearney, Kearney, NE, 68849, USA.
| | - Suzanne W Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Forest Sciences Centre #3601-2424 Main Hall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a, Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
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9
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Beck JL, Cale JA, Rodriguez‐Ramos JC, Kanekar SS, Karst J, Cahill JF, Simard SW, Erbilgin N. Changes in soil fungal communities following anthropogenic disturbance are linked to decreased lodgepole pine seedling performance. J Appl Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.13628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jackson L. Beck
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Jonathan A. Cale
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | | | - Sanat S. Kanekar
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - James F. Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
| | - Suzanne W. Simard
- Department of Forest & Conservation Sciences University of British Columbia Vancouver BC Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources University of Alberta Edmonton AB Canada
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10
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Zhao S, Erbilgin N. Larger Resin Ducts Are Linked to the Survival of Lodgepole Pine Trees During Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1459. [PMID: 31850006 PMCID: PMC6888816 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/21/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Periodic mountain pine beetle outbreaks have killed millions of hectares of lodgepole pine forests in western North America. Within these forests some pine trees often remain alive. It has been rarely documented whether anatomical defenses differ between beetle-killed and remaining live pine trees, especially at the northern latitudinal range of beetles in North America. In this study, we compared the resin duct-based anatomical defenses and radial growth between beetle-killed and live residual lodgepole pine trees, and we characterized the resin ducts and the growth of the residual trees before and after outbreak. We found that tree radial growth was not associated with tree survival. The best two predictors of tree survival were resin duct size and production (number per year). Trees having larger but fewer resin ducts showed higher survival probability compared to those with smaller but more abundant resin ducts annually. Residual trees had larger resin ducts prior to the outbreak and continued having so after the outbreak. We further categorized residual trees as healthy (having no signs or symptoms of insect or pathogen attacks), declining (with signs or symptoms of biotic attacks), and survived (from mountain pine beetle attacks during the outbreak) to investigate resin duct-based anatomical defenses among them. Healthy trees had consistently larger resin ducts than declining trees in the past 20 years in post-outbreak stands. Survival trees ranked between healthy and declining trees. Overall, these results demonstrate that resin duct size of lodgepole pine trees can be an important component of tree defenses against mountain pine beetle attacks and suggest that lodgepole pine trees with large resin ducts are likely to show resistance to future bark beetle attacks.
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11
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Ectomycorrhizal Community on Norway Spruce Seedlings Following Bark Beetle Infestation. FORESTS 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/f10090740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi importantly influence seedling growth, nutrition, and survival and create an extensive mycelial network interconnecting tree species and enabling resource redistribution. Due to their symbiotic relationship with trees, they are impacted by forest disturbances, which are of increasing relevance due to climate change. The effect of disturbance on seedling colonization and their morphology is still largely unknown. Seedling growth parameters and the ECM fungal assemblage on the roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) seedlings were assessed in mature spruce forests attacked and destroyed by bark beetle and in a mature non-attacked forest as a reference. We did not detect significant differences in number of ECM species on seedling roots among forest types, but ECM species composition changed; Tylospora fibrillosa (Burt) Donk, Meliniomyces variabilis Hambl. & Sigler, and Phialocephala fortinii C.J.K. Wang & H.E. Wilcox were characteristic species in the forest destroyed by bark beetle, whereas Lactarius, Cortinarius, and Russula were in the mature forest. Forest type further significantly influenced the height, root length, and root collar thickness of seedlings and the proportion of exploration types of mycorrhizae.
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12
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Pec GJ, Cahill, Jr. JF. Large-scale insect outbreak homogenizes the spatial structure of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6895. [PMID: 31123638 PMCID: PMC6512761 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ectomycorrhizal fungi (plant symbionts) are diverse and exist within spatially variable communities that play fundamental roles in the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. However, the underlying ecological mechanisms that maintain and regulate the spatial structuring of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities are both complex and remain poorly understood. Here, we use a gradient of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) induced tree mortality across eleven stands in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada to investigate: (i) the degree to which spatial structure varies within this fungal group, and (ii) how these patterns may be driven by the relative importance of tree mortality from changes in understory plant diversity, productivity and fine root biomass following tree death. We found that the homogeneity of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community increased with increasing tree death, aboveground understory productivity and diversity. Whereas, the independent effect of fine root biomass, which declined along the same gradient of tree mortality, increased the heterogeneity of the ectomycorrhizal fungal community. Together, our results demonstrate that large-scale biotic disturbance homogenizes the spatial patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J. Pec
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
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13
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Policelli N, Bruns TD, Vilgalys R, Nuñez MA. Suilloid fungi as global drivers of pine invasions. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:714-725. [PMID: 30586169 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Belowground biota can deeply influence plant invasion. The presence of appropriate soil mutualists can act as a driver to enable plants to colonize new ranges. We reviewed the species of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) that facilitate pine establishment in both native and non-native ranges, and that are associated with their invasion into nonforest settings. We found that one particular group of EMF, suilloid fungi, uniquely drive pine invasion in the absence of other EMF. Although the association with other EMF is variable, suilloid EMF are always associated with invasive pines, particularly at early invasion, when invasive trees are most vulnerable. We identified five main ecological traits of suilloid fungi that may explain their key role at pine invasions: their long-distance dispersal capacity, the establishment of positive biotic interactions with mammals, their capacity to generate a resistant spore bank, their rapid colonization of roots and their long-distance exploration type. These results suggest that the identity of mycorrhizal fungi and their ecological interactions, rather than simply the presence of compatible fungi, are key to the understanding of plant invasion processes and their success or failure. Particularly for pines, their specific association with suilloid fungi determines their invasion success in previously uninvaded ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahuel Policelli
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente INIBIOMA, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional del Comahue (UNCo), Avenida de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Thomas D Bruns
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California at Berkeley, 111 Koshland Hall, Berkeley, CA, 94720-3102, USA
| | - Rytas Vilgalys
- Biology Department, Duke University, 130 Science Drive, Durham, NC, 27708-0338, USA
| | - Martin A Nuñez
- Grupo de Ecología de Invasiones, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente INIBIOMA, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional del Comahue (UNCo), Avenida de los Pioneros 2350, San Carlos de Bariloche, 8400, Río Negro, Argentina
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14
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Abstract
Bark beetle infestation is a widespread phenomenon in temperate forests, which are facing significant weather fluctuations accompanying climate change. Fungi play key roles in forest ecosystems as symbionts of ectomycorrhizal trees, decomposers, or parasites, but the effect of severe disturbances on their communities is largely unknown. The responses of soil fungal communities following bark beetle attack were determined using Illumina sequencing of soil samples from 10 microsites in a mature forest not attacked by bark beetle, a forest attacked by bark beetle, a forest destroyed by bark beetle, and a stand where all trees were removed after a windstorm. The proportion of ITS2 sequences assigned to mycorrhizal fungal species decreased with increased intensity of bark beetle attack (from 70 to 15%), whereas the proportion of saprotrophs increased (from 29 to 77%). Differences in the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal community was further characterized by a decrease in the sequence proportion of Elaphomyces sp. and Russula sp. and an increase in Piloderma sp., Wilcoxina sp., and Thelephora terrestris. Interestingly, the species composition of the ECM fungal community in the forest one year after removing the windstorm-damaged trees was similar to that of the mature forest, despite the sequence proportion attributed to ECM fungi decreased.
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15
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Designer Niches Promote Seedling Survival in Forest Restoration: A 7-Year Study of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Seedlings in Waterton Lakes National Park. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9080477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Designer niches in which environmental variables are controlled are useful in forest restoration to enhance survival of planted tree seedlings. Here, we evaluate particular manipulated habitats, on site variables, and pre-seedling conditions hypothesized to improve the survival rate of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) seedlings out-planted in Waterton Lakes National Park. The tree species is in peril due to blister rust and mountain pine beetle infestations in its range; and is a restoration priority in Waterton Lakes because populations in the park are highly infected with blister rust (up to 90%). At Summit Lake, 21 plots were set up and half of each was terra-torched; 1000 seedlings were planted in clusters of three, under four conditions: on burned areas in burned beargrass mats, in burned areas where beargrass mats were not present, in unburned areas where beargrass was present, and in unburned areas without beargrass. This study reports data for the seventh year after planting, and overall, survival was 53% for individual seedlings and at least one seedling survived in 60.8% of clusters. Planting in burned areas increased cluster survival (by 34.3%, p ˂ 0.0001) and planting near microsites increased cluster survival (by 19.3%, p ˂ 0.0001); the type of microsite did not make a difference. Planting in beargrass mats decreased survival, but not significantly (8.9%, p = 0.11) and this was true for burns, not unburned areas. Inoculation with native ectomycorrhizal fungi did not enhance survival most likely because controls on lightly terra-torched and unburned areas had access to local native fungi. This is the first study to report statistics on the planting of seedlings in clusters; the results need to be compared with studies where seedlings are planted individually.
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16
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Chu H, Tang M, Wang H, Wang C. Pinewood nematode infection alters root mycoflora of Pinus tabulaeformis Carr. J Appl Microbiol 2018; 125:554-563. [PMID: 29675985 DOI: 10.1111/jam.13883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS This study investigates pinewood nematode's impacts on root mycoflora of Pinus tabulaeformis. METHODS AND RESULTS The biomass, colonization rate, community structure and diversity of root-associated fungi were investigated in pinewood nematode-infected and nematode-noninfected P. tabulaeformis. The results indicated that the roots of P. tabulaeformis were colonized highly by root-associated fungi, mainly ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) and dark septate endophytes. Infection of pinewood nematode was associated with a significant (P < 0·05) decrease in root colonization rates by ECMF, dark septate endophytes and total hyphae, as well as in fungal biomass in the roots. Illumina MiSeq sequences of tagged amplicons of 18S rDNA region revealed Basidiomycota (65·70%) and Ascomycota (34·14%) as the dominant root-associated fungi in roots of P. tabulaeformis. Among the detected operational taxonomic units (OTUs), ECMF and dark septate endophytes exhibited a higher relative abundance in trees infected by pinewood nematode compared with noninfected ones. CONCLUSIONS The infection of pinewood nematode altered the composition and OTU abundance of root-associated fungi community in P. tabulaeformis roots with a decrease in the biomass, species richness and diversity of root-associated fungi, as well as in the colonization rates and abundance of ECMF and dark septate endophytes. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY This study is an important contribution for better understanding the interaction between pine wilt disease and root-associated fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Chu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,College of Biological Resource and Food Engineering, Center for Yunnan Plateau Biological Resources Protection and Utilization, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, Yunnan, China
| | - M Tang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China.,State Key Laboratory of Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources (South China Agricultural University), Guangdong Key Laboratory for Innovative Development and Utilization of Forest Plant Germplasm, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - H Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
| | - C Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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17
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Disturbance Alters the Relative Importance of Topographic and Biogeochemical Controls on Microbial Activity in Temperate Montane Forests. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9020097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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18
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Cantarello E, Newton AC, Martin PA, Evans PM, Gosal A, Lucash MS. Quantifying resilience of multiple ecosystem services and biodiversity in a temperate forest landscape. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:9661-9675. [PMID: 29187998 PMCID: PMC5696413 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2017] [Accepted: 09/16/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Resilience is increasingly being considered as a new paradigm of forest management among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers. However, metrics of resilience to environmental change are lacking. Faced with novel disturbances, forests may be able to sustain existing ecosystem services and biodiversity by exhibiting resilience, or alternatively these attributes may undergo either a linear or nonlinear decline. Here we provide a novel quantitative approach for assessing forest resilience that focuses on three components of resilience, namely resistance, recovery, and net change, using a spatially explicit model of forest dynamics. Under the pulse set scenarios, we explored the resilience of nine ecosystem services and four biodiversity measures following a one‐off disturbance applied to an increasing percentage of forest area. Under the pulse + press set scenarios, the six disturbance intensities explored during the pulse set were followed by a continuous disturbance. We detected thresholds in net change under pulse + press scenarios for the majority of the ecosystem services and biodiversity measures, which started to decline sharply when disturbance affected >40% of the landscape. Thresholds in net change were not observed under the pulse scenarios, with the exception of timber volume and ground flora species richness. Thresholds were most pronounced for aboveground biomass, timber volume with respect to the ecosystem services, and ectomycorrhizal fungi and ground flora species richness with respect to the biodiversity measures. Synthesis and applications. The approach presented here illustrates how the multidimensionality of stability research in ecology can be addressed and how forest resilience can be estimated in practice. Managers should adopt specific management actions to support each of the three components of resilience separately, as these may respond differently to disturbance. In addition, management interventions aiming to deliver resilience should incorporate an assessment of both pulse and press disturbances to ensure detection of threshold responses to disturbance, so that appropriate management interventions can be identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cantarello
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Adrian C. Newton
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Philip A. Martin
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Paul M. Evans
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Arjan Gosal
- Department of Life and Environmental SciencesBournemouth UniversityPooleUK
| | - Melissa S. Lucash
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, SRTC B1‐04DPortland State UniversityPortlandORUSA
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19
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Changes of Scots Pine Phyllosphere and Soil Fungal Communities during Outbreaks of Defoliating Insects. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8090316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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20
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Pec GJ, Karst J, Taylor DL, Cigan PW, Erbilgin N, Cooke JEK, Simard SW, Cahill JF. Change in soil fungal community structure driven by a decline in ectomycorrhizal fungi following a mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:864-873. [PMID: 27659418 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Western North American landscapes are rapidly being transformed by forest die-off caused by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae), with implications for plant and soil communities. The mechanisms that drive changes in soil community structure, particularly for the highly prevalent ectomycorrhizal fungi in pine forests, are complex and intertwined. Critical to enhancing understanding will be disentangling the relative importance of host tree mortality from changes in soil chemistry following tree death. Here, we used a recent bark beetle outbreak in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada to test whether the effects of tree mortality altered the richness and composition of belowground fungal communities, including ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi. We also determined the effects of environmental factors (i.e. soil nutrients, moisture, and phenolics) and geographical distance, both of which can influence the richness and composition of soil fungi. The richness of both groups of soil fungi declined and the overall composition was altered by beetle-induced tree mortality. Soil nutrients, soil phenolics and geographical distance influenced the community structure of soil fungi; however, the relative importance of these factors differed between ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi. The independent effects of tree mortality, soil phenolics and geographical distance influenced the community composition of ectomycorrhizal fungi, while the community composition of saprotrophic fungi was weakly but significantly correlated with the geographical distance of plots. Taken together, our results indicate that both deterministic and stochastic processes structure soil fungal communities following landscape-scale insect outbreaks and reflect the independent roles tree mortality, soil chemistry and geographical distance play in regulating the community composition of soil fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J Pec
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - D Lee Taylor
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Castetter Hall 104, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA
| | - Paul W Cigan
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 442 Earth Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Janice E K Cooke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Suzanne W Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Forest Sciences Centre #3601-2424 Main Hall, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, B717a Biological Sciences Building, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
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21
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Ferrenberg S, Martinez AS, Faist AM. Aboveground and belowground arthropods experience different relative influences of stochastic versus deterministic community assembly processes following disturbance. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2545. [PMID: 27761333 PMCID: PMC5068348 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. METHODS Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies abundance, diversity, and composition. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models comparing observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples. RESULTS Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod communities and vegetation and soil properties, but no significant association among belowground arthropod communities and environmental factors. DISCUSSION Our results suggest context-dependent influences of stochastic and deterministic community assembly processes across different fractions of a spatially co-occurring ground-dwelling arthropod community following disturbance. This variation in assembly may be linked to contrasting ecological strategies and dispersal rates within above- and below-ground communities. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating concurrent influences of stochastic and deterministic processes in community assembly, and highlight the need to consider potential variation across different fractions of biotic communities when testing community ecology theory and considering conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Alexander S. Martinez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Akasha M. Faist
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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22
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Cale JA, Collignon RM, Klutsch JG, Kanekar SS, Hussain A, Erbilgin N. Fungal Volatiles Can Act as Carbon Sources and Semiochemicals to Mediate Interspecific Interactions Among Bark Beetle-Associated Fungal Symbionts. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0162197. [PMID: 27583519 PMCID: PMC5008770 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) has killed millions of hectares of pine forests in western North America. Beetle success is dependent upon a community of symbiotic fungi comprised of Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma montium, and Leptographium longiclavatum. Factors regulating the dynamics of this community during pine infection are largely unknown. However, fungal volatile organic compounds (FVOCs) help shape fungal interactions in model and agricultural systems and thus may be important drivers of interactions among bark beetle-associated fungi. We investigated whether FVOCs can mediate interspecific interactions among mountain pine beetle's fungal symbionts by affecting fungal growth and reproduction. Headspace volatiles were collected and identified to determine species-specific volatile profiles. Interspecific effects of volatiles on fungal growth and conidia production were assessed by pairing physically-separated fungal cultures grown either on a carbon-poor or -rich substrate, inside a shared-headspace environment. Fungal VOC profiles differed by species and influenced the growth and/or conidia production of the other species. Further, our results showed that FVOCs can be used as carbon sources for fungi developing on carbon-poor substrates. This is the first report demonstrating that FVOCs can drive interactions among bark beetle fungal symbionts, and thus are important factors in beetle attack success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Cale
- Department of Renewable Resources, 4-42 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - R Maxwell Collignon
- Department of Entomology, Entomology Building, University of California, Riverside, CA, 92521, United States of America
| | - Jennifer G Klutsch
- Department of Renewable Resources, 4-42 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Sanat S Kanekar
- Department of Renewable Resources, 4-42 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Altaf Hussain
- Department of Renewable Resources, 4-42 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, 4-42 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
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23
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Gaitnieks T, Klavina D, Muiznieks I, Pennanen T, Velmala S, Vasaitis R, Menkis A. Impact of Heterobasidion root-rot on fine root morphology and associated fungi in Picea abies stands on peat soils. MYCORRHIZA 2016; 26:465-473. [PMID: 26861482 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-016-0685-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2015] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We examined differences in fine root morphology, mycorrhizal colonisation and root-inhabiting fungal communities between Picea abies individuals infected by Heterobasidion root-rot compared with healthy individuals in four stands on peat soils in Latvia. We hypothesised that decreased tree vitality and alteration in supply of photosynthates belowground due to root-rot infection might lead to changes in fungal communities of tree roots. Plots were established in places where trees were infected and in places where they were healthy. Within each stand, five replicate soil cores with roots were taken to 20 cm depth in each root-rot infected and uninfected plot. Root morphological parameters, mycorrhizal colonisation and associated fungal communities, and soil chemical properties were analysed. In three stands root morphological parameters and in all stands root mycorrhizal colonisation were similar between root-rot infected and uninfected plots. In one stand, there were significant differences in root morphological parameters between root-rot infected versus uninfected plots, but these were likely due to significant differences in soil chemical properties between the plots. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer of fungal nuclear rDNA from ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root morphotypes of P. abies revealed the presence of 42 fungal species, among which ECM basidiomycetes Tylospora asterophora (24.6 % of fine roots examined), Amphinema byssoides (14.5 %) and Russula sapinea (9.7 %) were most common. Within each stand, the richness of fungal species and the composition of fungal communities in root-rot infected versus uninfected plots were similar. In conclusion, Heterobasidion root-rot had little or no effect on fine root morphology, mycorrhizal colonisation and composition of fungal communities in fine roots of P. abies growing on peat soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talis Gaitnieks
- Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", Rigas 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia
- Forest Sector Competence Center, SIA "MNKC", Dzerbenes 27, Riga, LV-1006, Latvia
| | - Darta Klavina
- Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava", Rigas 111, Salaspils, LV-2169, Latvia
| | - Indrikis Muiznieks
- Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Jelgavas Str. 1, Riga, LV-1586, Latvia
| | - Taina Pennanen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Vantaa Research Centre, Jokiniemenkuja 1, FI-01370, Vantaa, Finland
| | - Sannakajsa Velmala
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Vantaa Research Centre, Jokiniemenkuja 1, FI-01370, Vantaa, Finland
| | - Rimvydas Vasaitis
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7026, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Audrius Menkis
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Uppsala BioCenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, P.O. Box 7026, SE-75007, Uppsala, Sweden.
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24
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Karst J, Erbilgin N, Pec GJ, Cigan PW, Najar A, Simard SW, Cahill JF. Ectomycorrhizal fungi mediate indirect effects of a bark beetle outbreak on secondary chemistry and establishment of pine seedlings. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2015; 208:904-14. [PMID: 26033270 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Dendroctonus ponderosae has killed millions of Pinus contorta in western North America with subsequent effects on stand conditions, including changes in light intensity, needle deposition, and the composition of fungal community mutualists, namely ectomycorrhizal fungi. It is unknown whether these changes in stand conditions will have cascading consequences for the next generation of pine seedlings. To test for transgenerational cascades on pine seedlings, we tested the effects of fungal inoculum origin (beetle-killed or undisturbed stands), light intensity and litter (origin and presence) on seedling secondary chemistry and growth in a glasshouse. We also tracked survival of seedlings over two growing seasons in the same stands from which fungi and litter were collected. Fungal communities differed by inoculum origin. Seedlings grown with fungi collected from beetle-killed stands had lower monoterpene concentrations and fewer monoterpene compounds present compared with seedlings grown with fungi collected from undisturbed stands. Litter affected neither monoterpenes nor seedling growth. Seedling survival in the field was lower in beetle-killed than in undisturbed stands. We demonstrate that stand mortality caused by prior beetle attacks of mature pines have cascading effects on seedling secondary chemistry, growth and survival, probably mediated through effects on below-ground mutualisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Karst
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Gregory J Pec
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Paul W Cigan
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Ahmed Najar
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Suzanne W Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - James F Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E9, Canada
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Therrien J, Mason CJ, Cale JA, Adams A, Aukema BH, Currie CR, Raffa KF, Erbilgin N. Bacteria influence mountain pine beetle brood development through interactions with symbiotic and antagonistic fungi: implications for climate-driven host range expansion. Oecologia 2015; 179:467-85. [PMID: 26037523 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3356-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Bark beetles are associated with diverse communities of symbionts. Although fungi have received significant attention, we know little about how bacteria, and in particular their interactions with fungi, affect bark beetle reproduction. We tested how interactions between four bacterial associates, two symbiotic fungi, and two opportunistic fungi affect performance of mountain pine beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in host tissue. We compared beetle performance in phloem of its historical host, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), and its novel host recently accessed through warming climate, jack pine (Pinus banksiana). Overall, beetles produced more larvae, and established longer ovipositional and larval galleries in host tissue predominantly colonized by the symbiotic fungi, Grosmannia clavigera, or Ophiostoma montium than by the opportunistic colonizer Aspergillus and to a lesser extent, Trichoderma. This occurred in both historical and naïve hosts. Impacts of bacteria on beetle reproduction depended on particular fungus-bacterium combinations and host species. Some bacteria, e.g., Pseudomonas sp. D4-22 and Hy4T4 in P. contorta and Pseudomonas sp. Hy4T4 and Stenotrophomonas in P. banksiana, reduced antagonistic effects by Aspergillus and Trichoderma resulting in more larvae and longer ovipositional and larval galleries. These effects were not selective, as bacteria also reduced beneficial effects by symbionts in both host species. Interestingly, Bacillus enhanced antagonistic effects by Aspergillus in both hosts. These results demonstrate that bacteria influence brood development of bark beetles in host tissue. They also suggest that climate-driven range expansion of D. ponderosae through the boreal forest will not be significantly constrained by requirements of, or interactions among, its microbial associates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Therrien
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - Charles J Mason
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan A Cale
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA
| | - Aaron Adams
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brian H Aukema
- Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Cameron R Currie
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kenneth F Raffa
- Department of Entomology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, USA.
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Gorzelak MA, Asay AK, Pickles BJ, Simard SW. Inter-plant communication through mycorrhizal networks mediates complex adaptive behaviour in plant communities. AOB PLANTS 2015; 7:plv050. [PMID: 25979966 PMCID: PMC4497361 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plv050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour of plants, including rapid changes in physiology, gene regulation and defence response, can be altered when linked to neighbouring plants by a mycorrhizal network (MN). Mechanisms underlying the behavioural changes include mycorrhizal fungal colonization by the MN or interplant communication via transfer of nutrients, defence signals or allelochemicals. We focus this review on our new findings in ectomycorrhizal ecosystems, and also review recent advances in arbuscular mycorrhizal systems. We have found that the behavioural changes in ectomycorrhizal plants depend on environmental cues, the identity of the plant neighbour and the characteristics of the MN. The hierarchical integration of this phenomenon with other biological networks at broader scales in forest ecosystems, and the consequences we have observed when it is interrupted, indicate that underground 'tree talk' is a foundational process in the complex adaptive nature of forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika A Gorzelak
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Amanda K Asay
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Brian J Pickles
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Suzanne W Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6T 1Z4
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Saravesi K, Aikio S, Wäli PR, Ruotsalainen AL, Kaukonen M, Huusko K, Suokas M, Brown SP, Jumpponen A, Tuomi J, Markkola A. Moth outbreaks alter root-associated fungal communities in subarctic mountain birch forests. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2015; 69:788-797. [PMID: 25687127 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-015-0577-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has important implications on the abundance and range of insect pests in forest ecosystems. We studied responses of root-associated fungal communities to defoliation of mountain birch hosts by a massive geometrid moth outbreak through 454 pyrosequencing of tagged amplicons of the ITS2 rDNA region. We compared fungal diversity and community composition at three levels of moth defoliation (intact control, full defoliation in one season, full defoliation in two or more seasons), replicated in three localities. Defoliation caused dramatic shifts in functional and taxonomic community composition of root-associated fungi. Differentially defoliated mountain birch roots harbored distinct fungal communities, which correlated with increasing soil nutrients and decreasing amount of host trees with green foliar mass. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) abundance and richness declined by 70-80 % with increasing defoliation intensity, while saprotrophic and endophytic fungi seemed to benefit from defoliation. Moth herbivory also reduced dominance of Basidiomycota in the roots due to loss of basidiomycete EMF and increases in functionally unknown Ascomycota. Our results demonstrate the top-down control of belowground fungal communities by aboveground herbivory and suggest a marked reduction in the carbon flow from plants to soil fungi following defoliation. These results are among the first to provide evidence on cascading effects of natural herbivory on tree root-associated fungi at an ecosystem scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karita Saravesi
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, POB 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland,
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28
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Pec GJ, Karst J, Sywenky AN, Cigan PW, Erbilgin N, Simard SW, Cahill JF. Rapid Increases in forest understory diversity and productivity following a mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreak in pine forests. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0124691. [PMID: 25859663 PMCID: PMC4393282 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0124691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The current unprecedented outbreak of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada has resulted in a landscape consisting of a mosaic of forest stands at different stages of mortality. Within forest stands, understory communities are the reservoir of the majority of plant species diversity and influence the composition of future forests in response to disturbance. Although changes to stand composition following beetle outbreaks are well documented, information on immediate responses of forest understory plant communities is limited. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of D. ponderosae-induced tree mortality on initial changes in diversity and productivity of understory plant communities. We established a total of 110 1-m2 plots across eleven mature lodgepole pine forests to measure changes in understory diversity and productivity as a function of tree mortality and below ground resource availability across multiple years. Overall, understory community diversity and productivity increased across the gradient of increased tree mortality. Richness of herbaceous perennials increased with tree mortality as well as soil moisture and nutrient levels. In contrast, the diversity of woody perennials did not change across the gradient of tree mortality. Understory vegetation, namely herbaceous perennials, showed an immediate response to improved growing conditions caused by increases in tree mortality. How this increased pulse in understory richness and productivity affects future forest trajectories in a novel system is unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J. Pec
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Justine Karst
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Alexandra N. Sywenky
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Paul W. Cigan
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nadir Erbilgin
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Suzanne W. Simard
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James F. Cahill
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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Kennedy NM, Robertson SJ, Green DS, Scholefield SR, Arocena JM, Tackaberry LE, Massicotte HB, Egger KN. Site properties have a stronger influence than fire severity on ectomycorrhizal fungi and associated N-cycling bacteria in regenerating post-beetle-killed lodgepole pine forests. Folia Microbiol (Praha) 2014; 60:399-410. [DOI: 10.1007/s12223-014-0374-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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