Constructed Everglades islands differ in soil fungi
After ~18 years, constructed tree islands match natural islands in fungal diversity but not composition, and that difference changes tree growth when hydrology is unconstrained.
Source
Microbes in reconstructive restoration: Divergence in constructed and natural tree island soil fungi affects tree growth
Study at a glance
- Design
- Other — Soil fungal survey of Everglades islands plus factorial greenhouse inoculum × hydrology growth trial
- N
- N=22 · 8 constructed + 14 natural tree islands surveyed; soil DNA N=43 samples
- Population
- Constructed and natural Everglades tree-island soils and four native tree species
- Outcome
- Fungal composition divergence and effects on tree growth under flood vs constrained water
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What they did
Authors sequenced soil fungi from 8 constructed and 14 natural Everglades tree islands, then grew four native tree species with live versus sterile inoculum under constrained versus unconstrained water in a factorial experiment.
What they found
Diversity and guild mix became similar without actively restoring fungi, but composition along PCo2 still differed. Under flooded (unconstrained) water, live inoculum made that compositional axis matter for trunk diameter; constrained water washed the effect out.
The limits
What it doesn't show
Results are from LILA experimental islands and a pot/mesocosm growth assay, not a landscape-scale planting success census across the whole Everglades.
Key terms
- Tree islands
- Woody vegetation patches on raised peat or limestone; nutrient hotspots in the oligotrophic Everglades.
- Constructed islands
- Restoration-built tree islands (here ~18 years old at LILA) meant to replace lost natural islands.
- Live inoculum
- Unsterilized island soil added so trees experience the native or constructed fungal community.
- Unconstrained hydrology
- More flooded water regime contrasting a constrained, drier treatment.
- PCo2
- Second principal-coordinate axis capturing compositional divergence between constructed and natural island fungi.
Flashcards
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Quiz yourself
After ~18 years, constructed islands:
Common questions
Did constructed islands lack fungal diversity?
No—diversity and guilds looked similar after ~18 years.
What still differed?
Community composition along PCo2.
When did that difference affect trees?
Under unconstrained (flooded) hydrology with live inoculum.
Why restore tree islands?
They are nutrient hotspots in a shrinking Everglades.
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