Persistence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with thinning disturbances and local soil property variation in a planted Cryptomeria japonica forest

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) live in roots and soil simultaneously and respond to local disturbances. Although it is well established that habitat disturbances affect not only soils but also root-associated fungal communities, how thinning affects root AMF communities of residual trees remains a significant knowledge gap. Here, we clarified the previously unknown cohabitation of persisting root AMF at four 50 × 50 m microsites with different soil properties and subjected to thinning disturbances in a planted forest in Japan. Root and soil samples were collected from 20 Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar, Cupressaceae) trees with and without thinning disturbance for three years. Using Illumina MiSeq metabarcoding, we analyzed AMF cohabitation patterns and persistence in C. japonica roots. We detected Dominikia , Glomus , Microkamienskia , Nanoglomus , Parvocarpum , and Rhizophagus as dominant persistent AMF partners of C. japonica . Their observed significant spatial but not temporal variations were driven by soil pH and C/N. Most importantly, spatiotemporal within-tree rearrangements among these taxa were observed at all microsites. We concluded that cohabitation of persistent root-colonizing AMF occurs over dynamic temporal rearrangements regardless of disturbances, highlighting strong host – symbiont bonds.