The joint effect of host plant genetic diversity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities on restoration success

Abstract

Drastic loss in the area and quality of natural and semi-natural habitats over the last hundred years has placed biodiversity and related ecosystem functions under substantial threat. Restoration of degraded ecosystems is among the main solutions to counteract this trend. However, past restoration efforts have not always led to the anticipated halt of species loss, neither have they ensured sustainable provision of vital ecosystem services. It has been proposed that one of the reasons for the failure to stop biodiversity decline through ecological restoration lies in overlooking the importance of improving ecosystem complexity, including the recovery of interaction networks with co-adapted species. In the current review, we show how simultaneously addressing these often unnoticed aspects has the potential to advance the success of ecological restoration. We focus on the relationship between the community composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and the genetic diversity of the host plant population as an example. Most terrestrial plant species associate with AM fungi, which have a fundamental role in ecosystem functioning through enhancing plant nutrition and tolerance to abiotic and biotic stress. Previous studies have highlighted the significance of these symbionts in increasing the restoration success of degraded habitats. In parallel, the role of gene-level diversity within plant populations for creating sustainable ecosystems has increasingly been acknowledged over the last years. However, considering the possible interaction of these two aspects, that is taking AM fungal communities and genetic diversity of host plant populations into account to enhance restoration success, has received no attention. Evidence suggests that the genetic diversity within a host plant population can have a significant effect on the ability of the host plant to benefit from mycorrhizal associations. We suggest that novel genomic approaches, such as community genetics and landscape genomics, should be applied to shed light on this aspect of plant–fungal interactions and be incorporated in restoration planning. Fundamental understanding of the nature of such associations can benefit from using restoration frameworks as large-scale experimental settings. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.