Virtual Posters
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Virtual Posters
INCREASING TREE ABUNDANCE MAY PRIME A LOSS OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER THROUGH CARBON ALLOCATION TO ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN THE SUBARCTIC-ALPINE FOREST-HEATH ECOTONE
Terrestrial
IMC9 - The Biology of Fungi, Edinburgh, UK, 1-6 August 2010
2010
Saprotrophic fungi dominate fungal communities in recent plant litter, whereas ectomycorrhizal fungi dominate in older humus, pointing to distinct roles of the two functional groups for turnover of organic matter. This study investigates whether trees, through their interaction with ectomycorrhizal fungi, play a more direct role in soil C turnover than previously thought.
We studied a subarctic-alpine forest-heath ecotone from mountain birch forest to heathland dominated by ericaceous species. We combined high-throughput pyrosequencing to characterize fungal communities in fine-scaled soil profiles, with ecosystem level measurements, such as C, N and stable isotope pools and biomass estimates.
Our results point to a strong coupling between tree abundance, ectomycorrhizal fungal density and decomposition rate of humus. Ectomycorrhizal mycelial production differed ten-fold between the two extreme sites and mirrored the increasing tree density towards the forest. In contrast, although forest litter production was larger, the total soil C pool in the forest was one-third of the pool in the heath, pointing to higher turnover rate of soil organic matter here. Also, the higher C/N ratios of humus and the dissolved organic pools in the forest suggest more efficient mobilization of N, probably an effect of higher ectomycorrhizal fungal activity.
We studied a subarctic-alpine forest-heath ecotone from mountain birch forest to heathland dominated by ericaceous species. We combined high-throughput pyrosequencing to characterize fungal communities in fine-scaled soil profiles, with ecosystem level measurements, such as C, N and stable isotope pools and biomass estimates.
Our results point to a strong coupling between tree abundance, ectomycorrhizal fungal density and decomposition rate of humus. Ectomycorrhizal mycelial production differed ten-fold between the two extreme sites and mirrored the increasing tree density towards the forest. In contrast, although forest litter production was larger, the total soil C pool in the forest was one-third of the pool in the heath, pointing to higher turnover rate of soil organic matter here. Also, the higher C/N ratios of humus and the dissolved organic pools in the forest suggest more efficient mobilization of N, probably an effect of higher ectomycorrhizal fungal activity.
Sub-Arctic, Soil fungi, Carbon cycling, Forest expansion, high throughput sequencing
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