Experimental soil warming shifts the fungal community composition at the alpine treeline

• DOI: 10.1111/nph.14603
• Publication Date: 2017-05-24T00:06:47Z
• Authors: Emily F. Solly; Björn D. Lindahl; Melissa A. Dawes; Martina Peter; Rômulo C. Souza; Christian Rixen; Frank Hagedorn
• Keywords: Cycling; Ectomycorrhiza; Pyrosequencing; Nitrogen Cycle; Terrestrial ecosystem; Nutrient cycle

Summary Increased CO 2 emissions and global warming may alter the composition of fungal communities through removal temperature limitation in plant–soil system, faster nitrogen (N) cycling changes carbon (C) allocation host plants to rhizosphere. At a Swiss treeline featuring Larix decidua Pinus uncinata , effects multiple years enrichment experimental soil on community organic horizons were analysed using 454‐pyrosequencing ITS amplicons. Sporocarp production colonization ectomycorrhizal root tips investigated parallel. Fungal was significantly altered by warming, whereas had little effect. Tree species influenced magnitude responses. The abundance taxa positively correlated with N availability, specialized for conditions high availability proliferated corresponding considerable increases inorganic warmed soils. Traits related utilization are important determining responses fungi N‐poor cold ecosystems. Shifts overall response higher temperatures fungal‐driven processes potential feedbacks ecosystem C storage at alpine treeline.