Effects of multiple climate change factors on the tall fescue-fungal endophyte symbiosis: infection frequency and tissue chemistry.

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2011 · New Phytologist

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03532.x· OSTI ID:1001725

Brosi, Glade ^[1]; McCulley, Rebecca L ^[1]; Bush, L P ^[1]; Nelson, Jim A ^[1]; Classen, Aimee T ^[2]; Norby, Richard J ^[3]

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1. University of Kentucky
2. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
3. ORNL

Climate change (altered CO{sub 2}, warming, and precipitation) may affect plant-microbial interactions, such as the Lolium arundinaceum-Neotyphodium coenophialum symbiosis, to alter future ecosystem structure and function. To assess this possibility, tall fescue tillers were collected from an existing climate manipulation experiment in a constructed old-field community in Tennessee (USA). Endophyte infection frequency (EIF) was determined, and infected (E+) and uninfected (E-) tillers were analysed for tissue chemistry. The EIF of tall fescue was higher under elevated CO{sub 2} (91% infected) than with ambient CO{sub 2} (81%) but was not affected by warming or precipitation treatments. Within E+ tillers, elevated CO{sub 2} decreased alkaloid concentrations of both ergovaline and loline, by c. 30%; whereas warming increased loline concentrations 28% but had no effect on ergovaline. Independent of endophyte infection, elevated CO{sub 2} reduced concentrations of nitrogen, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. These results suggest that elevated CO{sub 2}, more than changes in temperature or precipitation, may promote this grass-fungal symbiosis, leading to higher EIF in tall fescue in old-field communities. However, as all three climate factors are likely to change in the future, predicting the symbiotic response and resulting ecological consequences may be difficult and dependent on the specific atmospheric and climatic conditions encountered.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park
• Sponsoring Organization: SC USDOE - Office of Science (SC)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1001725
• Journal Information: New Phytologist, Journal Name: New Phytologist Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 189; ISSN 0028-646X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

09 BIOMASS FUELS
ALKALOIDS
CELLULOSE
CHEMISTRY
CLIMATES
CLIMATIC CHANGE
COMMUNITIES
ECOSYSTEMS
HEMICELLULOSE
LIGNIN
NITROGEN
PRECIPITATION
SYMBIOSIS