Alhagi sparsifolia Harbors a Different Root-Associated Mycobiome during Different Development Stages

The mycobiome in the rhizosphere and within the roots benefits the nutrition and function of host plants. However, compared with the bacterial community, root-associated mycobiomes of desert plants and the forces that drive their assemblage are limited. Here, we investigated the mycobiomes in bulk soil, rhizosphere, and root compartments of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap., a phreatophyte species dominating in Central Asia. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene phylogenetic profiles displayed significantly diverse mycobiomes across three compartments and host growth times, together explaining 31.45% of the variation in the community composition. The community structure of the perennial stage was markedly different from that of other stages (30 days to 2 years old). Along the soil–plant continuum, the α-diversity (estimated by Chao1) decreased gradually, while concomitantly increasing the community dissimilarity and the influence of edaphic factors. Specific leaf area, soil water content, and soil organic matter levels were common factors driving the composition of the three mycobiome communities. A more complex and connected network was observed in the root community compared with the other compartments. Overall, our work suggests that an age-sensitive host effect restructured the desert-plant-root-associated mycobiome, and that edaphic factors and host growth strategy may play potential roles in this process.