Biodiversity
studies
Martin Zobel
University of Tartu & Estonian Academy
of Sciences
Biodiversity
• What is biodiversity?
• Functional significance?
• Ecosystem services?
Distribution of a fern Dryopteris carthusiana in Estonia
Distribution of a fern Dryopteris carthusiana in Europe
Pärtel et al. (2011) Trends Ecol.Evol.– ‘dark diversity’ (proportion
of ‘missing plant species’ worldwide)
Mycorrhiza
• Most of plants live together with symbiotic
fungi, forming so-called mycorrhiza
• ‘Fungus-root’ or Mycorrhiza helps plants to
obtain nutrients and protects them against
pathogens
mycélium
P.pratensis (left)
and P.patens
(right) infected
with boreal
forest or
grassland AM
fungal
communities
Sterile
AMF inf. 0
%
Forest AMF
AMF inf.
38.6 %
Moora et al. 2004, Func
Ecol 18:554-562
Grassland
AMF inf.
75.7 %
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in
plant roots
The main bottleneck – knowledge
of diversity and distribution of
‘invisible organisms’
Sites where natural AM fungal communities have been studied. Sample
size gradient from yellow (small) to red (large)
Map of AM fungal taxon richness (normalised by
sample size)
AM taxon richness rarefaction curve of the Globe
and continents
New molecular technologies become more
and more accessible for ecologists...
• ...like 454 pyrosequencing...
• Ronaghi et al., 1996. Real-time DNA sequencing
using detection of pyrophosphate release.
Analytical Biochemistry 242: 84-89.
• Increased sequence output (1 000 000 reads
per run)
• Length of sequence reads short (but
improving...)
• Bioinformatics!
How does land use modify AM fungal
communities in ecosystems?
•
•
•
We addressed extensive land use intensity
(=ecosystem disturbance) gradient, starting from
intensive arable fields and waste deposits, up to
primeval forest
We addressed AMF in soil DNA
We aimed:
a) describe differences in AMF communities across
land use gradient
b) finding good bioindicators of land use intensity
Sampling
Each ecosystem (except industrial
waste) was represented by 2-3
independent sampling sites.
Each site was replicated by 9
independent samples.
Soil type: gleyic luvisol on slightly
calcaric moraine
Studied ecosystems
Industrial waste
deposit
City lawn
(permanent
grassland)
Intensively
managed
arable field
Sustainable
arable field
Spruce plantation
in former old field
Primaeval forest
Results
AMF molecular taxon richness accumulation curves
45
No. of AMF molecular taxa
40
35
30
25
20
Industrial waste
Spruce plantation
Sustainable field
Permanent grassland
Primaeval forest
Intensive field
15
10
5
0
1
3
5
7
9
11 13 15 17 19 21 23 25
No. of samples
Results
NMDS 2
NMSD ordination of AMF communities under
different land use regimes
Ecosystem
Intensive agric. field
Sustainable agric. field
Primaeval forest
Spruce plantation
Permanent grassland
Industrial waste
Disturbance
NMDS 1
Prospects
• Understanding biogeography and
community ecology of AM fungi
• Understanding the mechanism of AM
impact on plant species and communities
• Restoration ecology
• AMF and ecosystem services (e.g. soil
formation & glomalin)
• Primary target areas for case studies –
Baltic countries, Europe?
Thank you!