Wind Patterns Influence the Dispersal and Assembly of North American Soil Fungal Communities

Abstract

Wind is the primary dispersal mechanism of most fungal spores but is rarely considered in studies of fungal communities, limiting inference of assembly mechanisms and forecasting responses to climate change. We compiled wind-connectivity models—‘windscapes’—to model potential dispersal of fungal spores at the continental scale and linked them with a molecular dataset of North American soil fungi. Our analyses demonstrate that prevailing windflow patterns exhibit a significantly stronger signal on fungal community structure than do geographic distances amongst sites. Notably, the signature of wind was detectable for mushrooms and fungi producing primarily wind-dispersed spores. Contrastingly, fungi primarily reliant on animal dispersal exhibited a strong signature of geographic distance but not wind-connectivity. Additionally, we show that directionally ‘downwind’ sites are more diverse than comparatively ‘upwind’ sites. Altogether, our findings suggest that future wind patterns will shape the adaptation potential of fungal communities dispersing into suitable climatic niches.