Fungal Allies: Unsung Heroes of Seedling Survival in Subtropical Forests----Chinese Academy of Sciences

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Fungal Allies: Unsung Heroes of Seedling Survival in Subtropical Forests

Dec 18, 2025

A new study published in Ecology Letters has uncovered the mechanisms underlying plant community assembly and biodiversity maintenance, revealing that plant-associated microorganisms play a pivotal yet underappreciated role in mediating species coexistence.

Led by Prof. LIANG Yu from the Institute of Botany of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the researchers integrated transcriptomic data from seedlings of 103 woody species, species-level functional traits, and long-term seedling dynamic monitoring data from the Gutianshan forest plot.

By extracting and functionally annotating transcripts from foliar endophytic fungi (FEF), the researchers connect microbial functional genomics with modern coexistence theory, clarifying the pathway linking FEF molecular functions, host fitness/niche, seedling survival and species coexistence.

Their analysis revealed that FEF transcript diversity is shaped by both host phylogenetic divergence time and maximum tree height. FEF functions significantly promote seedling survival through fitness- and niche-related processes. A total of 118 Gene Ontology (GO) terms were found to be significantly associated with seedling survival.

Further analysis identified a dual regulatory mode underlying these effects. GO terms with high host-phylogeny dependence enhance seedling survival through fitness differences associated with multi-organism interactions. In contrast, GO terms with high host-trait dependence facilitate seedling survival through niche differentiation related to basic life processes.

These findings have significant implications for forest biodiversity conservation and management. While traditional ecological theories have focused on plant-plant interactions, this study emphasizes the pivotal role of microbial symbionts, such as FEF, in sustaining species coexistence and ecosystem functioning. Neglecting the roles of microbes in ecological restoration and conservation initiatives may compromise long-term biodiversity outcomes.