From pathogens to partners: temporal and biogeographical patterns in fungal associations of alien trees
Our study shows that alien trees can strongly reshape the communities of fungi living in the soil around their roots. In ectomycorrhizal tree species, longer residence time in a new region was linked to a higher share of beneficial symbiotic fungi, while the share of pathogenic fungi declined. Even so, stands dominated by alien trees still hosted more pathogenic fungi than stands of native trees, suggesting a possible risk of pathogen spillover to surrounding vegetation. Overall, the results suggest that the belowground relationships of alien trees change over time, shifting in mycobiome composition from pathogen to mycorrhizal.
