Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) establish symbiotic interaction with 80% of known land plants. It has a pronounced impact on plant growth, water absorption, mineral nutrition, and protection from abiotic stresses. Plants are very dynamic systems having great adaptability under continuously changing drying conditions. In this regard, the function of AMF as a biological tool for improving plant drought stress tolerance and phenotypic plasticity, in terms of establishing mutualistic associations, seems an innovative approach towards sustainable agriculture. However, a better understanding of these complex interconnected signaling pathways and AMF-mediated mechanisms that regulate the drought tolerance in plants will enhance its potential application as an innovative approach in environmentally friendly agriculture. This paper reviews the underlying mechanisms that are confidently linked with plant–AMF interaction in alleviating drought stress, constructing emphasis on phytohormones and signaling molecules and their interaction with biochemical, and physiological processes to maintain the homeostasis of nutrient and water cycling and plant growth performance. Likewise, the paper will analyze how the AMF symbiosis helps the plant to overcome the deleterious effects of stress is also evaluated. Finally, we review how interactions between various signaling mechanisms governed by AMF symbiosis modulate different physiological responses to improve drought tolerance. Understanding the AMF-mediated mechanisms that are important for regulating the establishment of the mycorrhizal association and the plant protective responses towards unfavorable conditions will open new approaches to exploit AMF as a bioprotective tool against drought.

Numerous studies have confirmed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can promote plant nitrogen and phosphorus absorption, and prime systemic plant defense to plant pathogenic microbes. Despite that, the information on the interaction between AMF and plant pathogenic microbes is limited, especially the influence of plant pathogenic microbes on the effect of AMF promoting plant growth. In this study, 650 independent paired-wise observations from 136 published papers were collected and used to calculate the different effect of AMF with plant pathogenic microbes (DAPP) in promoting plant growth through meta-analysis. The results showed that AMF had a higher effect size on plant growth with pathogenic microbes comparing to without pathogenic microbes, including the significant effects in shoot and total fresh biomass, and shoot, root, and total dry biomass. The results of the selection models revealed that the most important factor determining the DAPP on plant dry biomass was the harm level of plant pathogenic microbes on the plant dry biomass, which was negatively correlated. Furthermore, the change of AMF root length colonization (RLC) was the sub-important factor, which was positively correlated with the DAPP. Taken together, these results have implications for understanding the potential and application of AMF in agroecosystems.

Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus bieti) are the highest elevation lived non-human primate, and their survival has been threatened for decades. To promote their population growth, a reserve provides a typical monkey population with supplemental food. However, the influences of this food provisioning on their gut microbiota and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) were unknown. Therefore, we investigated the gut microbiota and ARGs of the food-provisioned monkey population compared with another wild foraging population. We found that food provisioning significantly increased the gut microbiota diversity and changed the community composition, particularly increased both the Firmicutes abundance and Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio. Meanwhile, the food provisioning decreased the complex and stable gut microbiota network. KEGG functions were also influenced by food provisioning, with wild foraging monkeys showing higher functions of metabolism and genetic information processing, especially the carbohydrate metabolism, while food-provisioned monkeys exhibited increased environmental information processing, cellular processes, and organismal systems, including valine, leucine, and isoleucine degradation. In addition, food provisioning increased the abundance of ARGs in the gut microbiota, with most increasing the abundance of bacA gene and changing the correlations between specific ARGs and bacterial phyla in each population. Our study highlights that even food provisioning could promote wildlife nutrient intake, and it is necessary to pay attention to the increased ARGs and potential effects on gut microbiota stability and functions for this human conservation measure.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is sensitive to global climate change. This is because it is characterized by irregular rainfall and freeze–thaw cycles resulting from its high elevation and low temperature. Greenhouse gases (GHGs) mainly contribute to the warming of the QTP, but few studies have investigated and compared the effects of irregular rainfall and freeze–thaw cycles on GHGs. In this study, we conducted a laboratory experiment under four types of freeze–thaw treatments with three soil water content levels to simulate the irregular freeze–thaw and rainfall conditions. The results showed that both the soil water content and freeze–thaw treatment influenced the soil properties, soil enzyme activities, and the microbial biomass; however, the freeze–thaw treatment had significantly higher influences on GHG fluxes than soil water content. In order to explore other biotic and abiotic factors in an attempt to establish the main factor in determining GHG fluxes, a variation partition analysis was conducted. The results revealed that freeze–thaw treatments were the strongest individual factors in predicting the variance in N₂O and CO₂ fluxes, and the pH, which was only significantly affected by freeze–thaw treatment, was the strongest individual factor in predicting CH₄ flux. Across the water content levels, all the freeze–thaw treatments increased the N₂O flux and reduced the CH₄ flux as compared to the CK treatment. In addition, long-term freezing reduced the CO₂ flux, but the treatment of slowly freezing and quickly thawing increased the CO₂ flux. In summary, these results suggest that the freeze–thaw treatments had quite different effects on N₂O, CH₄, and CO₂ fluxes, and their effects on GHG fluxes are more significant than those of soil water content on the eastern edge of the QTP.

Understanding the mechanisms of competition and coexistence among sympatric species is crucial for deepening our understanding of interspecific interactions and informing the conservation of rare and endangered wildlife. In this study, we utilized DNA macro‐barcoding technology to analyze the seasonal dietary habits of Kiang ( Equus kiang ) and Tibetan Gazelle ( Procapra picticaudata ) in Shiqu County, Sichuan Province, aiming to investigate their resource partitioning strategies and potential competition for limited forage resources. The results showed that Kiang mainly consumed Cyperaceae and Polygonaceae in both seasons, while Tibetan Gazelle fed on Polygonaceae and Rosaceae in the warm season and shifted to Ephedraceae in the cold season. Both species exhibited significant seasonal differences in dietary composition, with Tibetan Gazelle showing greater individual variation and seasonal shifts. In addition, their dietary niche was broader in the warm season, and overlap remained high, with indices of 0.89 and 0.87 in the warm and cold seasons, respectively. The results indicate that although Kiang and Tibetan Gazelle exhibit partial dietary overlap, they mitigate interspecific competition and achieve sympatric coexistence through differential use of dominant forage species, adjustments in dietary proportions, and individual dietary flexibility; notably, Tibetan gazelles exhibit stronger ecological adaptability. This study highlights a competition–coexistence dynamic along the trophic niche axis in typical plateau ungulates, providing insights for effective conservation strategies and biodiversity conservation in plateau regions.