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

Solly, Emily F.; Lindahl, Björn D.; Dawes, Melissa A.; Peter, Martina; Souza, Rosineide Cardoso de; Rixen, Christian; Hagedorn, Frank

doi:10.1111/nph.14603

Cited by 75 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 96 publications

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“…Mycorrhizal activity has frequently been observed to decline with N fertilization (Högberg et al, ; Nilsson & Wallander, ; Wallander & Nylund, ). Further, in an experiment near our study site where soil warming led to greater N availability, Solly, Lindahl et al () observed a shift in the fungal community composition towards more nitrophilic species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Twelve years of low nutrient input stimulates growth of trees and dwarf shrubs in the treeline ecotone

Möhl¹,

Mörsdorf

Dawes

et al. 2018

Journal of Ecology

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Almost all natural terrestrial ecosystems are nutrient limited in terms of growth, and we expect treeline vegetation to be no exception. However, direct constraints of low temperature on tissue formation may superimpose effects of low nutrient availability. We examined growth responses of two tree (Larix decidua and Pinus uncinata) and two dwarf shrub species (Vaccinium myrtillus and Vaccinium gaultherioides) to 12 years of moderate fertilizer addition (NPK applied at a rate of 15 and 30 kg nitrogen ha−1 a−1) along an elevation gradient within the treeline ecotone in the Swiss Alps (2,083 to 2,225 m a.s.l.). We measured annual top‐ and side‐shoot increments as well as stem ring width in trees and shoot increments in dwarf shrubs. Fertilizer addition increased soil nutrient availability, indicated by enhanced soil extractable N, higher concentrations of N, P and K in leaves and higher foliar δ15N. Fertilizer addition stimulated annual growth of all four species: by 11%–20% for L. decidua and 15%–36% for P. uncinata (depending on trait) and by 8%–16% for the two dwarf shrub species. Growth stimulation by the higher fertilizer dose was not significantly stronger than by the lower dose (except for V. gaultherioides), suggesting an overall low nutrient demand for growth and saturation at a rather low nutrient input. Synthesis. Even slightly enhanced nutrient availability can stimulate growth of trees and dwarf shrubs in an alpine treeline ecosystem. Ongoing atmospheric nutrient deposition, in conjunction with global warming, may accelerate plant growth at the treeline.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Twelve years of low nutrient input stimulates growth of trees and dwarf shrubs in the treeline ecotone

Möhl¹,

Mörsdorf

Dawes

et al. 2018

Journal of Ecology

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“…Overall, soil moisture seemed to be more important than temperature in explaining variation in fungal community composition in this ecosystem. By contrast, studies of subarctic and alpine tree line ecosystems have reported that warming may cause important fungal community shifts and changes in soil fungal biomass, because higher temperatures may stimulate nutrient cycling and plant production (Clemmensen et al ., ; Solly et al ., ). Here, soil fungal biomass was lower during summer than during autumn and spring, supporting previous reports from other Mediterranean forest ecosystems (Iotti et al ., ; Castaño et al ., ; Queralt et al ., ) and potentially reflecting differences between Mediterranean and boreal forest ecosystems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Several studies have shown that changes in climatic conditions may affect soil fungal communities, directly or indirectly (Fernandez et al ., ; Hartmann et al ., ; Solly et al ., ). Mycorrhizal species have shown contrasting responses to changes in climate, and responses are modulated by nutrient availability (Clemmensen et al ., ; Solly et al ., ) and host tree responses (Fernandez et al ., ; Hartmann et al ., ). Recent studies of Mediterranean ecosystems have suggested that the biomass of some ECM species is dynamic across seasons, and that mycelial production is often halted during summer and winter (Iotti et al ., ; Castaño et al ., ; Queralt et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Soil fungi are essential drivers of organic matter dynamics and nutrient release and uptake in coniferous forest ecosystems. However, climate changes, such as warming or increased drought, may alter the composition of soil fungal communities (Fernandez et al, 2016;Hartmann et al, 2017;Solly et al, 2017). In Mediterranean forest ecosystems, drought stress and low nutrient availability are important determinants of functional and structural traits of plants (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil microclimate changes affect soil fungal communities in a Mediterranean pine forest

et al. 2018

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Soil microclimate is a potentially important regulator of the composition of plant-associated fungal communities in climates with significant drought periods. Here, we investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of soil fungal communities in a Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forest in relation to soil moisture and temperature. Fungal communities in 336 soil samples collected monthly over 1 year from 28 long-term experimental plots were assessed by PacBio sequencing of ITS2 amplicons. Total fungal biomass was estimated by analysing ergosterol. Community changes were analysed in the context of functional traits. Soil fungal biomass was lowest during summer and late winter and highest during autumn, concurrent with a greater relative abundance of mycorrhizal species. Intra-annual spatio-temporal changes in community composition correlated significantly with soil moisture and temperature. Mycorrhizal fungi were less affected by summer drought than free-living fungi. In particular, mycorrhizal species of the short-distance exploration type increased in relative abundance under dry conditions, whereas species of the long-distance exploration type were more abundant under wetter conditions. Our observations demonstrate a potential for compositional and functional shifts in fungal communities in response to changing climatic conditions. Free-living fungi and mycorrhizal species with extensive mycelia may be negatively affected by increasing drought periods in Mediterranean forest ecosystems.

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Global change experiments in mountain ecosystems: A systematic review

Dainese,

Crepaz,

Bottarin

et al. 2024

Ecological Monographs

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Mountain ecosystems play an important role globally as centers of biodiversity and in providing ecosystem services to lowland populations, but are influenced by multiple global change drivers such as climate change, nitrogen deposition, or altered disturbance regimes. As global change is accelerating and the consequences for humans and nature are intensifying, there is an increasing demand for understanding and predicting the impacts and implications of global change on mountain ecosystems. Manipulation experiments are one of the major tools for testing the causal impacts of global change and establishing a mechanistic understanding of how these changes may transform the global biota from single organisms to entire ecosystems. Over the past three decades, hundreds of such experiments have been conducted in mountainous regions worldwide. To strengthen the experimental evidence for the possible ecological consequences of global change, we systematically reviewed the literature on global change experiments in mountains. We first investigated the spread of manipulation experiments to test the effects of different global change drivers on key biological and ecological processes from the organism to the ecosystem level. We then examined and discussed the balance of evidence regarding the impact of these global change drivers on biological and ecological processes, and outlined the possible consequences for mountain ecosystems. Finally, we identified research gaps and proposed future directions for global change research in mountain environments. Among the major drivers, temperature was manipulated most frequently, generally showing consistent strong impacts between biological and ecosystem processes, functional groups, and habitat types. There is also strong evidence suggesting that changes in water and nutrient availability have a direct impact on the life history and functioning of mountain organisms. Despite these important findings, there are several gaps that require urgent attention. These include experiments testing adult trees in tropical and boreal regions, assessing animal responses and biotic interactions, and investigating aquatic environments and soil systems more extensively. A broader approach that integrates experimental data with field observations and relies on international collaboration through coordinated experiments could help address these gaps and provide a more consistent and robust picture of the impacts of global change on mountain ecosystems.

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

Cited by 75 publications

References 96 publications

Twelve years of low nutrient input stimulates growth of trees and dwarf shrubs in the treeline ecotone

Twelve years of low nutrient input stimulates growth of trees and dwarf shrubs in the treeline ecotone

Soil microclimate changes affect soil fungal communities in a Mediterranean pine forest

Global change experiments in mountain ecosystems: A systematic review

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