DOI: 10.5061/dryad.wdbrv15tg
title: Precipitation, rather than temperature drives coordination of multidimensional root traits with ectomycorrhizal fungi in alpine coniferous forests

description: The interactions between roots and mycorrhizal fungi are critical for our
 understanding of the multidimensional root economics space. Our knowledge
 on their relationships comes mainly from arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)
 plants, and less is known about how roots are coordinated with
 ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities, especially in ECM-dominated
 alpine forests that are highly sensitive to climate change worldwide.
 Here, we investigated the coordination between roots and ECM fungi and
 their drivers by measuring multiple root traits, ECM fungal composition
 and environmental factors of 47 coniferous populations across the alpine
 coniferous forests on the Tibetan Plateau. Our results reveal two
 independent fine-root trait dimensions, i.e., root foraging dimension and
 root uptake dimension, which are represented by root diameter-specific
 root length, root tissue density-root N concentration. Importantly, the
 hyphal exploration-type-based ECM foraging correlated significantly with
 both root foraging and root uptake dimension. Further, in the
 low-temperature plateau, it is precipitation-induced changes in soil
 moisture, soil nutrients and pH that drive the proportion of
 longer-distance hyphal exploration types to increase with higher root
 foraging by higher specific root length, and to decrease with higher
 uptake by higher root N concentration. Synthesis. The coordination of
 multidimensional root traits with ECM fungi differs greatly from the
 well-recognized pattern in AM plants that mycorrhizal fungi connect
 predominantly with root foraging and that roots and mycorrhizal fungi are
 temperature sensitive. These findings provide a new insight for our
 holistic understanding of how roots and mycorrhizal fungi vary
 collaboratively and hence driving plant community assembly and responses
 to the changing climate.
description: We investigated the coordination between roots and ECM fungi and
 their drivers by measuring multiple root traits, ECM fungal composition
 and environmental factors of 47 coniferous populations across the alpine
 coniferous forests on the Tibetan Plateau.
description: Column, Entry, Description, Unit * A, Site, Sample site, * B, Forest type,
 Forest type, * C, MAP, mean annual precipitation, mm * D, MAT, mean annual
 temperature, ℃ * E, pH, Soil pH, * F, STC, Soil total carbon, g/kg * G,
 STN, Soil total nitrogen, g/kg * H, STP, Soil total phosphorus, g/kg * I,
 DOC, Dissolved organic carbon, mg/kg * J, AP, Available phosphorus, mg/kg
 * K, IN, Inorganic nitrogen, mg/kg * L, RD, Root diameter, mm * M, SRL,
 Specific root length, m/g * N, SRA, Specific root area,
 cm<sup>2</sup>/g * O, BRI, Branching intensity,
 cm<sup>-1</sup> * P, RTD, Root tissue density,
 g/cm<sup>3</sup> * Q, RNC, Root nitrogen concentration, g/kg *
 R, Contact hyphal exploration type, The relative proportion of contact
 hyphal exploration type, % * S, Short-distance hyphal exploration type,
 The relative proportion of short-distance hyphal exploration type, % * T,
 Medium-distance hyphal exploration type, The relative proportion of
 medium-distance hyphal exploration type, % * U, Long-distance hyphal
 exploration type, The relative proportion of long-distance hyphal
 exploration type, % * V, MCR, Mycorrhizal colonization rate, %