Effects of elevated CO2, nitrogen deposition, and decreased species diversity on foliar fungal plant disease

Three components of global change, elevated CO₂, nitrogen addition, and decreased plant species richness (‘diversity’), increased the percent leaf area infected by fungi (pathogen load) for much to all of the plant community in one year of a factorial grassland experiment. Decreased plant diversity had the broadest effect, increasing pathogen load across the plant community. Decreased diversity increased pathogen load primarily by allowing remaining plant species to increase in abundance, facilitating spread of foliar fungal pathogens specific to each plant species. Changes in plant species composition also strongly influenced community pathogen load, with communities that lost less disease prone plant species increasing more in pathogen load. Elevated CO₂ increased pathogen load of C₃ grasses, perhaps by decreasing water stress, increasing leaf longevity, and increasing photosynthetic rate, all of which can promote foliar fungal disease. Decreased plant diversity further magnified the increase in C₃ grass pathogen load under elevated CO₂. Nitrogen addition increased pathogen load of C₄ grasses by increasing foliar nitrogen concentration, which can enhance pathogen infection, growth, and reproduction. Because changes in foliar fungal pathogen load can strongly influence grassland ecosystem processes, our study suggests that increased pathogen load can be an important mechanism by which global change affects grassland ecosystems.