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Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi are pivotal drivers of ecosystem functioning in temperate and boreal forests. They constitute an important pathway for plant-derived carbon into the soil and facilitate nitrogen and phosphorus acquisition. However, the mechanisms that drive ectomycorrhizal diversity and community composition are still subject to discussion. We investigated patterns in ectomycorrhizal diversity, community composition, and exploration types on root tips in Fagus sylvatica,Picea abies, and Pinus sylvestris stands across Europe. Host tree species is the most important factor shaping the ectomycorrhizal community as well as the distribution of exploration types. Moreover, abiotic factors such as soil properties, N deposition, temperature, and precipitation, were found to significantly influence EM diversity and community composition. A clear differentiation into functional traits by means of exploration types was shown for all ectomycorrhizal communities across the three analyzed tree species. Contact and short-distance exploration types were clearly significantly more abundant than cord- or rhizomorph-forming long-distance exploration types of EM fungi. Medium-distance exploration types were significantly lower in abundance than contact and short-distance types, however they were the most frequent EM taxa and constituted nearly half of the EM community. Furthermore, EM taxa exhibit distinct ecological ranges, and the type of soil exploration seemed to determine whether EM taxa have small or rather big environmental ranges.

Fungi are known to exert a significant influence over soil organic matter (SOM) turnover, however understanding of the effects of fungal community structure on SOM dynamics and its consequences for ecosystem fertility is fragmentary.Here we studied soil fungal guilds and SOM decomposition processes along a fertility gradient in a temperate mountain beech forest. High-throughput sequencing was used to investigate fungal communities. Carbon and nitrogen stocks, enzymatic activity and microbial respiration were measured.While ectomycorrhizal fungal abundance was not related to fertility, saprotrophic ascomycetes showed higher relative abundances under more fertile conditions. The activity of oxidising enzymes and respiration rates in mineral soil were related positively to fertility and saprotrophic fungi. In addition, organic layer carbon and nitrogen stocks were lower on the more fertile plots, although tree biomass and litter input were higher. Together, the results indicated a faster SOM turnover at the fertile end of the gradient.We suggest that there is a positive feedback mechanism between SOM turnover and fertility that is mediated by soil fungi to a significant extent. By underlining the importance of fungi for soil fertility and plant growth, these findings furthermore emphasise the dependency of carbon cycling on fungal communities below ground.