Increasing aridity shapes beta diversity and the network dynamics of the belowground fungal microbiome associated with Opuntia ficus-indica

Highlights: • Prickly pear cactus species threatened in the future by climate change. • Dynamics of the fungal rhizosphere and endosphere along increased aridity gradient. • Analysis of soil properties, fungal community composition and correlation based-networks • Significant beta diversity, identification of fungal composition and hubs of each zone • Increasing aridity correlates with an increase of fungal connectivity networks. The effects of aridity on soil and water-use efficient (WUE) crop species are relatively well known. However, the understanding of its impacts on the dynamics of below-ground microorganisms associated with plant roots is less well understood.