Plant neighbours shape fungal assemblages associated with plant roots: A new understanding of niche?partitioning in plant communities

Understanding the assembly rules of mycorrhizal fungi is crucial, given their tremendous importance in plant nutrition and health. Differentiation plant-associated arbuscular (AMF) likely driven by a host-preference effect. Coexisting species may then affect focal microbiota through fungal dispersal among plants, preferential recruitment AMF. Both mechanisms are shaped plant's phylogenetic functional strategies. We expected that (a) structure AMF assemblages associated with depends on identity neighbouring species; (b) this effect would be predicted similarity between species. These predictions were tested during first stages growth, simulating early development plants within community Using an experimental matrix-focal design testing 15 from five taxonomic families, we demonstrated provided different pools for plant, Medicago truncatula, influenced communities especially terms richness but not relative evenness. truncatula grown Brassicaceae or other Poaceae displayed respectively no low compared to those Rosaceae Asteraceae effects weakly dependent distance proximity. enriched bore more resemblance when functionally dissimilar one. Functional dissimilarity was only significant predictor based traits characterizing nutrient use uptake strategy rather than integrated growing plant. Microbiota composition shown particularly its below-ground niche. At colonization stage, arrives community, mycobiota might spatial distribution already present community. This work suggests new view concept niche partitioning space microorganism-plant interactions.