Effects of grassland fairy rings on vegetation and soil fungi

Fairy rings are a unique ecological phenomenon caused by soil fungi. Through analyzing the influence of fairy rings on nitrogen and phosphorus nutrition supply to vegetation, physical and chemical properties of soil, and soil fungi structure, this paper aims to provide a theoretical basis for revealing soil fungi-fungi interaction. The results showed that the vegetation biomass, nitrogen content, and phosphorus content in the area above the fairy ring were significantly higher than those outside and inside the rings (P < 0.05). Soil physical and chemical properties of the three regions also changed significantly (P < 0.05). The analysis of the alpha-diversity index of the fungal community showed that the diversity index of soil fungi was significantly higher in the upper zone than in the outside zone (P < 0.05). Classification results showed that the relative abundances of Agaricaceae, Cystobasidiaceae, Davidiellaceae, and Nectriaceae in the upper zone were significantly higher than those in the outside area (P < 0.05). On the contrary, the relative abundance of fungi in Cystofilobasidiaceae, Chytridiaceae, and Cordycipitaceae was significantly lower in the upper zone than in the outside zone (P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that soil organic carbon and available phosphorus were important factors affecting the composition of soil fungi.