Synergistic community responses of plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to extreme droughts in a cold-temperate grassland

Mutualistic associations between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may have profound influences on their response to climate changes. Existing theories evaluate the effects of interdependency and environmental filtering on plant-AM fungal community dynamics separately; however, abrupt environmental changes such as climate extremes can provoke duo-impacts on the metacommunity simultaneously. Here, we experimentally tested the relevance of plant and AM fungal community responses to extreme drought (chronic or intense) in a cold temperate grassland. Irrespective of drought intensities, plant species richness and productivity responses were significantly and positively correlated with AM fungal richness and also served as best predictors of AM fungal community shifts. Notably, the robustness of this community synergism increased with drought intensity, likely reflecting increased community interdependence. Network analysis showed a key role of Glomerales in AM fungal interaction with plants, suggesting specific plant-AM fungal pairing. Thus, community interdependence may underpin climate change impact on plant-AM fungal diversity patterns in grasslands.