Linking regional species pool size to dispersal–selection relationships in soil fungal communities across terrestrial ecosystems

Abstract

AbstractAimRevealing the role of regional species pool size in community assembly rules is essential for extending the species‐pool framework to large‐scale community ecology, and thus for more comprehensive understanding of biodiversity formation. However, little has been done to couple the regional species‐pool effect into local ecological processes in soil fungal communities, which play essential roles in ecosystems worldwide. Here, we performed large‐scale soil surveys of fungal communities to examine the linkage between regional species pool size and Dispersal–Selection Relationships (DSRs), and their relations to community structure.LocationChina.Time periodJuly–August 2019.Major taxa studiedFungal communities.MethodsBy conducting the nationwide soil survey of ~1200 samples from various ecosystems across China, including agricultural, forest, grassland, and wetland soils, we examined the linkage between regional species pool size and DSRs, and their relationship to fungal community structure.ResultsWe found that selection was negatively related to dispersal, which was consistent with the general view that the strength of selection is weakened by dispersal homogenization, and that this relationship was stronger in regions with larger species pools. Moreover, an increase in community dispersion was correlated with stronger effect size of DSRs, implying greater heterogeneity among fungal communities under larger species pools.Main conclusionsOur study clearly illustrates the association of regional species pool size with local assembly rules and community formation of soil fungi across terrestrial ecosystems.