Ectomycorrhizal decomposers and their niche(s) in boreal forests

Abstract

Ectomycorrhizal fungi that produce oxidative enzymes-ectomycorrhizal decomposers-may limit soil carbon stocks while maintaining forest productivity in nutrient-poor forest soils by mobilising nitrogen from organic matter. Yet, these fungi are difficult to study in laboratory experiments. Here, we used a correlation-based analysis of field-measured properties to study traits of these unculturable fungi. Two datasets were used to test hypotheses on the effect and response traits of ectomycorrhizal decomposers. Based on samples at the centimetre scale, correlations between fungal abundances and manganese peroxidase activity were tested, enabling assignment of potential important taxa. In a national scale inventory, the niche(s) of the assigned ectomycorrhizal decomposers, concerning mean stand age and soil fertility, were investigated. We found 10 ectomycorrhizal taxa that were significantly co-localised with manganese peroxidase hotspots. Collectively, in pine-dominated forests these taxa were most frequent in relatively young stands with more fertile soils, whereas in spruce-dominated forests, they were most frequent in stands with more nutrient-poor soils. However, individual taxa varied in their responses. There was evidence for niche variation related to stand age and soil fertility among the 10 investigated taxa, suggesting that they do not share one common niche and that ectomycorrhizal decomposers may contribute to oxidative decomposition across a variety of forests with different management histories.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

Keywords

ectomycorrhizal fungi; effect traits; forest management; fungal communities; manganese peroxidases; response traits; soil inventory; soil nutrients

Published in

Functional Ecology
2025
Publisher: WILEY

SLU Authors

• Packard, Erica

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Clemmensen, Karina

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Dahlberg, Anders

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Spohn, Marie

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Stendahl, Johan

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lindahl, Björn

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Soil Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.70085

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/142715