Contrasting elevational patterns of soil and root-associated fungal communities highlight host-driven filtering in Quercus wutaishansea forests

plays an active role in shaping its root fungal community by selecting compatible fungal partners according to its physiological needs across altitudes. The findings reveal a significant and variable plant selectivity in the recruitment of microbiomes across different elevations, offering novel insights into plant-microbiome interactions within forest ecosystems in response to climate change.