Summary
This field study manipulated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities in natural woodland soil using benomyl fungicide to investigate the role of individual fungal species and community composition in plant performance. The authors found striking functional differentiation: specialist fungi with narrow host ranges declined following perturbation, whilst generalist fungi showed competitive release and increased abundance, suggesting that AM fungal diversity and functional traits—rather than simple species identity—are critical regulators of plant community structure and ecosystem function. The findings imply that ecosystem resilience to disturbance may depend substantially on the maintenance of functionally diverse mycorrhizal communities.
Regional applicability
This study was conducted in a natural United Kingdom woodland community and therefore provides direct evidence on AM fungal ecology and plant–fungus interactions in native British ecosystems. The findings on AM fungal functional diversity and resilience are directly applicable to UK woodland management, nature conservation and understanding how soil fungal communities respond to agrochemical or environmental disturbance in temperate systems.
Key measures
Root colonization rates (%RLC), AM fungal species identification via SSUrDNA cloning and sequencing, tRFLP profiling, plant tissue phosphate concentration, fungal host range specificity
Outcomes reported
The study measured changes in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal community composition following benomyl fungicide treatment in natural woodland soil monoliths, assessed via root colonization rates, DNA sequencing and tRFLP analysis. Plant phosphate uptake and fungal host specificity were examined across eleven plant species to evaluate functional diversity and resilience of AM fungal communities.
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