Climate change effects on beneficial plant-microorganism interactions

• Published in: FEMS microbiology ecology Vol. 73; no. 2; pp. 197 - 214
• Main Authors: Compant, Stéphane, van der Heijden, Marcel G.A, Sessitsch, Angela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Oxford, UK : Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.08.2010; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: adverse effects; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Bacteria; Bacteria - growth & development; beneficial microorganisms; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon dioxide; Carbon Dioxide - metabolism; Climate Change; Climate effects; Climatology. Bioclimatology. Climate change; Disease resistance; Drought; Droughts; Earth, ocean, space; Ecology; Ectomycorrhizas; elevated CO; elevated CO2; Endophytes; Exact sciences and technology; External geophysics; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; growth & development; Host plants; metabolism; Meteorology; Microbial ecology; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Mycorrhizae; Mycorrhizae - growth & development; Mycorrhizae - physiology; mycorrhizal fungi; physiology; Plant Development; Plant growth; plant growth-promoting bacteria; plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria; Plants; Plants - microbiology; Probiotics; rhizosphere bacteria; Temperature; water stress; mycorrhizal fungi; rhizosphere bacteria; plant growth-promoting bacteria; endophytes; elevated CO; climate change; Symbiosis; Interaction; Interspecific association; Carbon dioxide; Environmental factor; Increase; Dynamical climatology; Fungi; Climate change; Medium enrichment; Global change; Mycorrhiza; Endophyte; Plant growth promoting rhizobacteria; Microorganism; Interspecific relation
• ISSN: 0168-6496; 1574-6941; 1574-6941
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2010.00900.x

It is well known that beneficial plant-associated microorganisms may stimulate plant growth and enhance resistance to disease and abiotic stresses. The effects of climate change factors such as elevated CO₂, drought and warming on beneficial plant-microorganism interactions are increasingly being explored. This now makes it possible to test whether some general patterns occur and whether different groups of plant-associated microorganisms respond differently or in the same way to climate change. Here, we review the results of 135 studies investigating the effects of climate change factors on beneficial microorganisms and their interaction with host plants. The majority of studies showed that elevated CO₂ had a positive influence on the abundance of arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal fungi, whereas the effects on plant growth-promoting bacteria and endophytic fungi were more variable. In most cases, plant-associated microorganisms had a beneficial effect on plants under elevated CO₂. The effects of increased temperature on beneficial plant-associated microorganisms were more variable, positive and neutral, and negative effects were equally common and varied considerably with the study system and the temperature range investigated. Moreover, numerous studies indicated that plant growth-promoting microorganisms (both bacteria and fungi) positively affected plants subjected to drought stress. Overall, this review shows that plant-associated microorganisms are an important factor influencing the response of plants to climate change.