A shift from arbuscular mycorrhizal to dark septate endophytic colonization in Deschampsia flexuosa roots occurs along primary successional gradient.

Soil fungal community and dominant mycorrhizal types are known to shift along with plant community changes during primary succession. However, it is not well understood how and why root fungal symbionts and colonization types vary within the plant host when the host species is able to thrive both at young and at old successional stages with different light and nutrient resource availability. We asked (i) how root fungal colonization of Deschampsia flexuosa (Poaceae) by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and dark septate endophytes (DSE) changes along a postglacial primary successional land uplift gradient. As neighboring vegetation may play a role in root fungal colonization, we also asked (ii) whether removal of the dominant neighbor, Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum (Ericaceae), affects root fungal colonization of Deschampsia. We also studied whether (iii) foliar carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentration of Deschampsia is related to successional changes along a land uplift gradient. AM colonization decreased (-50 %), DSE colonization increased (+200 %), and foliar C declined in Deschampsia along with increasing successional age, whereas foliar N was not affected. Empetrum removal did not affect AM colonization but increased DSE sclerotial colonization especially at older successional stages. The observed decrease in foliar C coincides with an increase in canopy closure along with increasing successional age. We suggest that the shift from an AM-dominated to a DSE-dominated root fungal community in Deschampsia along a land uplift successional gradient may be related to different nutritional benefits gained through these root fungal groups.