Although shrub encroachment has been studied for its effects on fungal communities, the influence of a specific shrub species on belowground fungal communities across grasslands remains unclear. We examined the influence of increasing Juniperus communis cover on belowground fungal communities in subalpine grasslands dominated by perennial grasses with different ecologies, Patzkea paniculata and Bromus erectus . In each grassland, a gradient-based approach was applied to investigate the responses of soil fungal communities to increasing J. communis cover . Fungal diversity and composition were assessed using high-throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The functional composition of fungal communities was inferred by comparison with ITS reference databases. Although grassland vegetation cover differed, increasing J. communis density had no significant effect on the fungal richness of soil or root communities in either grassland. However, J. communis density significantly affected fungal beta-diversity and composition. The structuring of root and soil fungal communities along the J. communis cover gradient differed significantly between grasslands, leading to both quantitative and qualitative changes in belowground fungal communities including saprophytic, ericoid and pathogenic fungi. Our results suggest that pathways of influence of J. communis encroachment on subalpine ecosystem functioning are mediated by changes in the assemblage and composition of fungal communities. • Lack of information on a shrub effects on fungal communities in different grasslands • No Juniperus communis impact on soil and root fungal richness in either grassland • Influences of J. communis of fungal beta-diversity and community composition • Influences differed depending on the grassland and soil and root fungal communities • New insights into how a shrub modifies fungal communities in different grasslands
Binet et al. (Sun,) studied this question.