Soil biota and invasive plants

Interactions between plants and soil biota resist invasion by some nonnative plants and facilitate others. In this review, we organize research and ideas about the role of soil biota as drivers of invasion by nonnative plants and how soil biota may fit into hypotheses proposed for invasive success. For example, some invasive species benefit from being introduced into regions of the world where they encounter fewer soil-borne enemies than in their native ranges. Other invasives encounter novel but strong soil mutualists which enhance their invasive success. Leaving below-ground natural enemies behind or encountering strong mutualists can enhance invasions, but indigenous enemies in soils or the absence of key soil mutualists can help native communities resist invasions. Furthermore, inhibitory and beneficial effects of soil biota on plants can accelerate or decelerate over time depending on the net effect of accumulating pathogenic and mutualistic soil organisms. These 'feedback' relationships may alter plant-soil biota interactions in ways that may facilitate invasion and inhibit re-establishment by native species. Although soil biota affect nonnative plant invasions in many different ways, research on the topic is broadening our understanding of why invasive plants can be so astoundingly successful and expanding our perspectives on the drivers of natural community organization.     

Soil microbial communities associated with giant sequoia: How does the world's largest tree affect some of the world's smallest organisms?

Giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is an iconic conifer that lives in relict populations on the western slopes of the California Sierra Nevada. In these settings, it is unusual among the dominant trees in that it associates with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi rather than ectomycorrhizal fungi. However, it is unclear whether differences in microbial associations extend more broadly to nonmycorrhizal components of the soil microbial community. To address this question, we used next‐generation amplicon sequencing to characterize bacterial/archaeal and fungal microbiomes in bulk soil (0–5 cm) beneath giant sequoia and co‐occurring sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) individuals. We did this across two groves with distinct parent material in Yosemite National Park, USA. We found tree‐associated differences were apparent despite a strong grove effect. Bacterial/archaeal richness was greater beneath giant sequoia than sugar pine, with a core community double the size. The tree species also harbored compositionally distinct fungal communities. This pattern depended on grove but was associated with a consistently elevated relative abundance of Hygrocybe species beneath giant sequoia. Compositional differences between host trees correlated with soil pH and soil moisture. We conclude that the effects of giant sequoia extend beyond mycorrhizal mutualists to include the broader community and that some but not all host tree differences are grove‐dependent.     

Impact of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Heterobasidion</Emphasis> root-rot on fine root morphology and associated fungi in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea abies</Emphasis> stands on peat soils

We examined differences in fine root morphology, mycorrhizal colonisation and root-inhabiting fungal communities between Picea abies individuals infected by Heterobasidion root-rot compared with healthy individuals in four stands on peat soils in Latvia. We hypothesised that decreased tree vitality and alteration in supply of photosynthates belowground due to root-rot infection might lead to changes in fungal communities of tree roots. Plots were established in places where trees were infected and in places where they were healthy. Within each stand, five replicate soil cores with roots were taken to 20 cm depth in each root-rot infected and uninfected plot. Root morphological parameters, mycorrhizal colonisation and associated fungal communities, and soil chemical properties were analysed. In three stands root morphological parameters and in all stands root mycorrhizal colonisation were similar between root-rot infected and uninfected plots. In one stand, there were significant differences in root morphological parameters between root-rot infected versus uninfected plots, but these were likely due to significant differences in soil chemical properties between the plots. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer of fungal nuclear rDNA from ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root morphotypes of P. abies revealed the presence of 42 fungal species, among which ECM basidiomycetes Tylospora asterophora (24.6 % of fine roots examined), Amphinema byssoides (14.5 %) and Russula sapinea (9.7 %) were most common. Within each stand, the richness of fungal species and the composition of fungal communities in root-rot infected versus uninfected plots were similar. In conclusion, Heterobasidion root-rot had little or no effect on fine root morphology, mycorrhizal colonisation and composition of fungal communities in fine roots of P. abies growing on peat soils.     

Invasive belowground mutualists of woody plants

Most plants require mutualistic associations to survive, which can be an important limitation on their ability to become invasive. There are four strategies that permit plants to become invasive without being limited by a lack of mutualists. One is to not be dependent on mutualists. The other three strategies are to form novel mutualisms, form associations with cosmopolitan species, or co-invade with mutualists from their native range. Historically there has been a bias to study mutualisms from a plant perspective, with little consideration of soil biota as invasive species in their own right. Here we address this by reviewing the literature on belowground invasive mutualists of woody plants. We focus on woody invaders as ecosystem-transforming plants that frequently have a high dependence on belowground mutualists. We found that co-invasions are common, with many ectomycorrhizal plant species and N-fixing species co-invading with their mutualists. Other groups, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal plants, tend to associate with cosmopolitan fungal species or to form novel associations in their exotic range. Only limited evidence exists of direct negative effects of co-invading mutualists on native mutualist communities, and effects on native plants appear to be largely driven by altered environmental conditions rather than direct interactions. Mutualists that introduce novel ecosystem functions have effects greater than would be predicted based solely on their biomass. Focusing on the belowground aspects of plant invasions provides novel insights into the impacts, processes and management of invasions of both soil organisms and woody plant species.     

Biological invasions increase the richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from a Hawaiian subtropical ecosystem

Biological invasions can have various impacts on the diversity of important microbial mutualists such as mycorrhizal fungi, but few studies have tested whether the effects of invasions on mycorrhizal diversity are consistent across spatial gradients. Furthermore, few of these studies have taken place in tropical ecosystems that experience an inordinate rate of invasions into native habitats. Here, we examined the effects of plant invasions dominated by non-native tree species on the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in Hawaii. To test the hypothesis that invasions result in consistent changes in AM fungal diversity across spatial gradients relative to native forest habitats, we sampled soil in paired native and invaded sites from three watersheds and used amplicon sequencing to characterize AM fungal communities. Whether our analyses considered phylogenetic relatedness or not, we found that invasions consistently increased the richness of AM fungi. However, AM fungal species composition was not related to invasion status of the vegetation nor local environment, but stratified by watershed. Our results suggest that while invasions can lead to an overall increase in the diversity of microbial mutualists, the effects of plant host identity or geographic structuring potentially outweigh those of invasive species in determining the community membership of AM fungi. Thus, host specificity and spatial factors such as dispersal need to be taken into consideration when examining the effects of biological invasions on symbiotic microbes.     

Do novel weapons that degrade mycorrhizal mutualisms promote species invasion?

Non-native plants often dominate novel habitats where they did not co-evolve with the local species. The novel weapons hypothesis suggests that non-native plants bring competitive traits against which native species have not adapted defenses. Novel weapons may directly affect plant competitors by inhibiting germination or growth, or indirectly by attacking competitor plant mutualists (degraded mutualisms hypothesis). Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) and European buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) are widespread plant invaders that produce potent secondary compounds that negatively impact plant competitors. We tested whether their impacts were consistent with a direct effect on the tree seedlings (novel weapons) or an indirect attack via degradation of seedling mutualists (degraded mutualism). We compared recruitment and performance using three Ulmus congeners and three Betula congeners treated with allelopathic root macerations from allopatric and sympatric ranges. Moreover, given that the allelopathic species would be less likely to degrade their own fungal symbiont types, we used arbuscular mycorrhizal (AMF) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species to investigate the effects of F. japonica (no mycorrhizal association) and Rhamnus cathartica (ECM association) on the different fungal types. We also investigated the effects of F. japonica and R. cathartica exudates on AMF root colonization. Our results suggest that the allelopathic plant exudates impact seedlings directly by inhibiting germination and indirectly by degrading fungal mutualists. Novel weapons inhibited allopatric seedling germination but sympatric species were unaffected. However, seedling survivorship and growth appeared more dependent on mycorrhizal fungi, and mycorrhizal fungi were inhibited by allopatric species. These results suggest that novel weapons promote plant invasion by directly inhibiting allopatric competitor germination and indirectly by inhibiting mutualist fungi necessary for growth and survival.     

Nonnative plant shifts functional groups of arthropods following drought

Nonnative plants alter the composition of native plant communities, with concomitant effects on arthropods. However, plant invasions may not be the only disturbance affecting native communities, and multiple disturbances can have compounding effects. We assessed the effects of invasion and drought on plant and arthropod communities by comparing grasslands dominated by nonnative Old World bluestem grasses (OWBs, Dichanthium annulatum) to grasslands dominated by native plants during a period of decreasing drought severity (2011–2013). Native plant communities had more species of plants and arthropods (/m²) than areas dominated by OWBs during extreme drought, but richness was comparable as drought severity decreased. Abundance of arthropods was greater in native plant communities than in OWB communities during extreme drought, but OWB communities had more arthropods during moderate and non-drought conditions. We observed a shift in the arthropod community from one dominated by detritivores to one dominated by herbivores following plant invasion; the magnitude of this shift increased as drought severity decreased. Both plant communities were dominated by nonnative arthropods. A nonnative leafhopper (Balclutha rubrostriata) and native mites (Mochlozetidae) dominated OWB communities as drought severity decreased, and OWBs may serve as refugia for both taxa. Nonnative woodlice (Armadillidium vulgare) dominated native plant communities during extreme and non-drought conditions and abundance of this species may be associated with an increase in plant litter and available nutrients. Given the importance of arthropods for ecosystem services, incorporating arthropod data into conservation studies may demonstrate how changes in arthropod diversity alter ecosystem function where nonnative plants are dominant.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal soil infectivity and spores distribution across plantations of tropical,subtropical and exotic tree species: a case study from the forest reserve of Bandia,Senegal

Several fast‐growing and multipurpose trees such as exotic and valuable native species have been widely used in West Africa to reverse the tendency of massive degradation of plant cover and restore soil productivity. Although benefic effects have been reported on soil stabilization, a lack of information about their impact on soil symbiotic microorganisms still remains. This investigation has been carried out in field trees of 28 years old in a forest reserve at Bandia. To determine the mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) of soils, a mycorrhizal bioassay was conducted using seedlings of Zea mays L. Spores concentration, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi morphotypes and mycorrhizal colonization of field plants were examined. Results showed that fungal communities were dominated in all samples by the genus Glomus. Nevertheless, the others genera Gigaspora and Scutellospora occurred preferentially out of the plantations. The number and richness of spores as well as the MIP of soils were decreased in the tree plantations. Accordingly, the amount of annual herbaceous plants kept out of the tree plantations was much greater than those under the tree plantations. The colonization was higher in field root systems of herb plants in comparison with that of the tree plants. Comparisons allowed us to conclude that vegetation type modifies the AM fungal communities, and the results suggest further adoption of management practices that could improve or sustain the development of herbaceous layers and thus promote the AM fungal communities.     

Testing the enemy release hypothesis: a comparison of foliar insect herbivory of the exotic Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) and the native sugar maple (A. saccharum L.)

Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is a Eurasian introduced tree species which has invaded the North American range of its native congener, sugar maple (A. saccharum). One hypothesis used to explain the success of an invasive species is the enemy release hypothesis (ERH), which states that invasive species are often particularly successful in their new range because they lack the enemies of their native range. In this study, we hypothesized that Norway maple would have less insect damage than sugar maple due to such enemy release. Autumn 2005 and summer 2006 leaves of Norway and sugar maple were collected from six sites in New Jersey and Pennsylvania to compare percent leaf area loss, gall damage, fungal damage, and specific leaf area (cm²/g). Although both species had low overall mean levels of leaf damage (0.4–2.5%), in both years/seasons Norway maple had significantly less leaf damage than sugar maple. Insects were also collected to compare insect assemblies present on each tree species. The numbers of insect taxa and individuals found on each species were nearly equivalent. Overall, the results of this study are consistent with the enemy release hypothesis for Norway maple. In addition, sugar maples when surrounded by Norway maples tended to show reduced herbivory. This suggests that the spread of Norway maple in North America, by reducing amounts of insect herbivory, may have further ecosystem-wide impacts.     

Persistence of ecto- and ectendomycorrhizal fungi associated with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus montezumae</Emphasis> in experimental microcosms

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and ectendomycorrhizal fungal species associated with Pinus montezumae were recorded in 8 year-old trees established in microcosms and compared with those associated with 2 year-old trees, in order to determine their persistence over the long-term. Mycorrhizal root tips were morphologically and anatomically characterized and sequenced. The extension of extramatrical mycelium of ECM fungi with long exploration strategies was evaluated. In total, 11 mycorrhizal species were registered. Seven mycorrhizal species were detected on both 2 and 8 year-old pines: Atheliaceae sp., Rhizopogon aff. fallax, R. aff. occidentalis, Suillus pseudobrevipes, Tuber separans, Wilcoxina mikolae and Wilcoxina rehmii. One species, Thelephora terrestris, was exclusively associated with two year–old seedlings, while Cenococcum geophilum, Pezizaceae sp. and Pyrenomataceae sp. were exclusively found on 8 year-old trees. Atheliaceae sp. was the ECM fungal species that presented the most abundant mycelium. Finally, we report one new fungal species of Pezizaceae occurring as a symbiont of P. montezumae.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in tropical forests are affected by host tree species and environment

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are mutualists with plant roots that are proposed to enhance plant community diversity. Models indicate that AM fungal communities could maintain plant diversity in forests if functionally different communities are spatially separated. In this study we assess the spatial and temporal distribution of the AM fungal community in a wet tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. We test whether distinct fungal communities correlate with variation in tree life history characteristics, with host tree species, and the relative importance of soil type, seasonality and rainfall. Host tree species differ in their associated AM fungal communities, but differences in the AM community between hosts could not be generalized over life history groupings of hosts. Changes in the relative abundance of a few common AM fungal species were the cause of differences in AM fungal communities for different host tree species instead of differences in the presence and absence of AM fungal species. Thus, AM fungal communities are spatially distinguishable in the forest, even though all species are widespread. Soil fertility ranging between 5 and 9 Mg/ha phosphorus did not affect composition of AM fungal communities, although sporulation was more abundant in lower fertility soils. Sampling soils over seasons revealed that some AM fungal species sporulate profusely in the dry season compared to the rainy season. On one host tree species sampled at two sites with vastly different rainfall, relative abundance of spores from Acaulospora was lower and that of Glomus was relatively higher at the site with lower and more seasonal rainfall.     

Allelopathic potentials of exotic invasive and native trees over coexisting understory species: the soil as modulator

Ailanthus altissima and Robinia pseudoacacia are two aggressive exotic tree species invading riparian ecosystems in Central Spain. We explored their allelopathic potentials as a possible mechanism explaining their success in these ecosystems. Specifically, we aimed (1) to compare the phytotoxic effects of the exotic and native (Fraxinus angustifolia and Populus alba) trees on the fitness of several understory plants coexisting in riparian ecosystems, and (2) to assess the capacity of the riparian soil to modulate the phytotoxic effects. In laboratory bioassays, aqueous leaf litter extracts from the donor tree species at field-realistic concentrations were tested on different fitness indicators of 13 understory target species, using germination paper and soil as substrates in petri dishes. Using germination paper, we found species-specific effects between donor and target species, but the phytotoxicity of the exotic trees as a group was not greater than that of the natives. Nevertheless, the exotic R. pseudoacacia was the most effective donor species reducing the radicle growth of the target species. Over riparian soil substrate, the aqueous leaf litter extracts did not produce any phytotoxic effect on the target species, except in one case. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of using both a native control when assessing the phytotoxicity of nonnative plants and also the natural soil in the modulation of phytotoxic effects. Ignoring both factors in laboratory bioassays would have led to the overestimation of the phytotoxicity of the exotic species as a mechanism contributing to their invasion success.     

Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Solidago canadensis growth are independent of nitrogen form

丛枝菌根真菌对加拿大一枝黄花生长的影响不受氮形态的调节 越来越多的研究结果表明,入侵植物能通过改变土壤真菌群落直接或间接的促进自身生长。土壤氮含量高低影响植物与丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)的共生关系,进而影响植物生长。然而,氮形态是否会改变入侵植物- 相互作用,以及被改变的AMF群落是否影响入侵植物和本地植物对不同氮形态的依赖性尚未可知。鉴于此,本研究以加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis)为研究对象,结合野外驯化和室内接种实验,探讨了群落水平上该入侵植物的生长,以及入侵植物-AMF相互作用对不同形态氮添加的响应。首先,选择30对加拿大一枝黄花入侵群落和相近的非入侵群落,并用湿筛法从土壤中获取入侵AMF孢子和非入侵AMF孢子,同时构建两种人工群落：加拿大一枝黄花群落(N = 4)和本地植物群落(N = 4);然后 将入侵和非入侵AMF孢子接种至两种人工群落中,并在生长期间分别供应3种形态氮(NO₃-N、NH₄-N、Gly-N);生长结束后收获各植物群落地上、地下生物量,测定加拿大一枝黄花的形态特征。研究结果发现,加拿大一枝黄花未表现出显著的氮形态依赖性,本地植物则表现出较弱的氮形态依赖性;但入侵AMF可消除氮形态对本地植物的影响。在无氮源供应时,AMF不影响两种植物群落的生长,而提供任一形态氮源时,入侵AMF均显著促进该入侵植物的地下生物量和总生物量而不改变本地植物的生长。加拿大一枝黄花-AMF正相互作用强度显著大于本地植物-AMF相互作用的强度,且这种正的相互作用是通过直接或间接调节加拿大一枝黄花的表型特征(如株高、叶数、根状茎数量等)来实现的。该研究强调了植物-AMF相互作用在入侵中的重要性,并揭示了加拿大一枝黄花特殊的氮获取策略,为进一步研究入侵机制提供了重要的依据。     

Phylogenetic conservatism in plant‐soil feedback and its implications for plant abundance

We examined whether plant‐soil feedback and plant‐field abundance were phylogenetically conserved. For 57 co‐occurring native and exotic plant species from an old field in Canada, we collected a data set on the effects of three soil biota treatments on plant growth: net whole‐soil feedback (combined effects of mutualists and antagonists), feedback with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) collected from soils of conspecific plants, and feedback with Glomus etunicatum, a dominant mycorrhizal fungus. We found phylogenetic signal in both net whole‐soil feedback and feedback with AMF of conspecifics; conservatism was especially strong among native plants but absent among exotics. The abundance of plants in the field was also conserved, a pattern underlain by shared plant responses to soil biota. We conclude that soil biota influence the abundance of close plant relatives in nature.     

Quercus rubra-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of disturbed urban sites and mature forests

The presence and quality of the belowground mycorrhizal fungal community could greatly influence plant community structure and host species response. This study tests whether mycorrhizal fungal communities in areas highly impacted by anthropogenic disturbance and urbanization are less species rich or exhibit lower host root colonization rates when compared to those of less disturbed systems. Using a soil bioassay, we sampled the ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) communities associating with Quercus rubra (northern red oak) seedlings in soil collected from seven sites: two mature forest reference sites and five urban sites of varying levels of disturbance. Morphological and polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of fungi colonizing root tips revealed that colonization rates and fungal species richness were significantly lower on root systems of seedlings grown in disturbed site soils. Analysis of similarity showed that EMF community composition was not significantly different among several urban site soils but did differ significantly between mature forest sites and all but one urban site. We identified a suite of fungal species that occurred across several urban sites. Lack of a diverse community of belowground mutualists could be a constraint on urban plant community development, especially of late-successional woodlands. Analysis of urban EMF communities can add to our understanding of urban plant community structure and should be addressed during ecological assessment before pragmatic decisions to restore habitats are framed.     

Continental‐scale nitrogen pollution is shifting forest mycorrhizal associations and soil carbon stocks

Most tree roots on Earth form a symbiosis with either ecto‐ or arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Nitrogen fertilization is hypothesized to favor arbuscular mycorrhizal tree species at the expense of ectomycorrhizal species due to differences in fungal nitrogen acquisition strategies, and this may alter soil carbon balance, as differences in forest mycorrhizal associations are linked to differences in soil carbon pools. Combining nitrogen deposition data with continental‐scale US forest data, we show that nitrogen pollution is spatially associated with a decline in ectomycorrhizal vs. arbuscular mycorrhizal trees. Furthermore, nitrogen deposition has contrasting effects on arbuscular vs. ectomycorrhizal demographic processes, favoring arbuscular mycorrhizal trees at the expense of ectomycorrhizal trees, and is spatially correlated with reduced soil carbon stocks. This implies future changes in nitrogen deposition may alter the capacity of forests to sequester carbon and offset climate change via interactions with the forest microbiome.     

Long-term legacies and partial recovery of mycorrhizal communities after invasive plant removal

Invasive plants can have strong impacts on native communities, which have prompted intense efforts at invasive removal. However, relatively little is known about how native communities will reassemble after a dominant invader has been removed from the system. Legacy effects of invasive plants on soil microbial communities may alter native plant community reassembly long after the invader is gone. Here we found that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities have shown some recovery in experimental plots following 6 years of removal of the invasive Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard, a species known to degrade AMF communities) in terms of taxonomic richness and community composition. However, despite this recovery, the density of A. petiolata at the beginning of the experiment (in 2004) still correlated with lower AMF richness and altered community composition after 6 years of annual weeding, suggesting long-term legacies of dense A. petiolata infestations. Because native plant and mycorrhizal fungal communities may show interdependence, reassembly of one community may be limited by the reassembly of the other. Restoration may be more effective if practices address both communities simultaneously.     

Effects of an introduced mustard,Thlaspi arvense,on soil fungal communities in subalpine meadows

The subalpine meadows of the Rocky Mountains, USA, are at the advancing front of global change; however, little is known about the sensitivities of high-elevation soil fungal communities to ongoing ecological changes. Soil fungi are sensitive to abiotic and biotic environmental stressors, including climate change, soil disturbance, and the presence of introduced, non-native plants. Invasive plants in the Brassicaceae (mustard family) are known to alter fungal community structure, suppress arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and change their relationship with native plant hosts in forest ecosystems, but these phenomena have not been studied in the subalpine zone where non-native mustard plants are becoming established. Here, we investigated whether the presence of the introduced mustard plant, Thlaspi arvense, is associated with distinct properties of the whole fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in subalpine meadow ecosystems. We observed clear differences in the composition, relative abundance of core taxa, and mean taxon relatedness of soil fungal communities in plots with T. arvense relative to those with only native vegetation. A suite of novel fungi were associated with T. arvense, and overall patterns of AMF phylogenetic diversity were drastically reduced in association with its presence. Our results suggest that T. arvense introduction impacts the soil fungal community, with potential implications for native plant communities and soil nutrient cycling in high elevation meadows of the Rocky Mountains.     

The diversity of parasites in the Chinese sleeper <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perccottus glenii</Emphasis> Dybowski, 1877 (Actinopterygii: Perciformes) under the conditions of large-scale range expansion

It has been found that the species composition of parasites infesting the Chinese sleeper Perccottus glenii in water bodies from the nonnative part of its range is more depleted. Here, the phylogenetic distances between parasites exceed those in the native part of the range. It has been revealed that parasitological differences between P. glenii populations from the nonnative and native parts of the range, as well as between populations inside the nonnative part, have similar composition and abundance of the host-specific and euryxenous components in the parasitic fauna. It has been shown that these differences are determined by the genesis of sites from which P. glenii is introduced, as well as the local conditions of the recipient water bodies.     

Reduced aboveground tree growth associated with higher arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity in tropical forest restoration

Establishing diverse mycorrhizal fungal communities is considered important for forest recovery, yet mycorrhizae may have complex effects on tree growth depending on the composition of fungal species present. In an effort to understand the role of mycorrhizal fungi community in forest restoration in southern Costa Rica, we sampled the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community across eight sites that were planted with the same species (Inga edulis, Erythrina poeppigiana, Terminalia amazonia, and Vochysia guatemalensis) but varied twofold to fourfold in overall tree growth rates. The AMF community was measured in multiple ways: as percent colonization of host tree roots, by DNA isolation of the fungal species associated with the roots, and through spore density, volume, and identity in both the wet and dry seasons. Consistent with prior tropical restoration research, the majority of fungal species belonged to the genus Glomus and genus Acaulospora, accounting for more than half of the species and relative abundance found on trees roots and over 95% of spore density across all sites. Greater AMF diversity correlated with lower soil organic matter, carbon, and nitrogen concentrations and longer durations of prior pasture use across sites. Contrary to previous literature findings, AMF species diversity and spore densities were inversely related to tree growth, which may have arisen from trees facultatively increasing their associations with AMF in lower soil fertility sites. Changes to AMF community composition also may have led to variation in disturbance susceptibility, host tree nutrient acquisition, and tree growth. These results highlight the potential importance of fungal–tree–soil interactions in forest recovery and suggest that fungal community dynamics could have important implications for tree growth in disturbed soils.