A tipping point in carbon storage when forest expands into tundra is related to mycorrhizal recycling of nitrogen. Clemmensen, K. E., Durling, M. B., Michelsen, A., Hallin, S., Finlay, R. D., & Lindahl, B. D. Ecology Letters, 24(6):1193–1204, June, 2021. Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
A tipping point in carbon storage when forest expands into tundra is related to mycorrhizal recycling of nitrogen [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
Abstract Tundra ecosystems are global belowground sinks for atmospheric CO2. Ongoing warming-induced encroachment by shrubs and trees risks turning this sink into a CO2 source, resulting in a positive feedback on climate warming. To advance mechanistic understanding of how shifts in mycorrhizal types affect long-term carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks, we studied small-scale soil depth profiles of fungal communities and C?N dynamics across a subarctic-alpine forest-heath vegetation gradient. Belowground organic stocks decreased abruptly at the transition from heath to forest, linked to the presence of certain tree-associated ectomycorrhizal fungi that contribute to decomposition when mining N from organic matter. In contrast, ericoid mycorrhizal plants and fungi were associated with organic matter accumulation and slow decomposition. If climatic controls on arctic-alpine forest lines are relaxed, increased decomposition will likely outbalance increased plant productivity, decreasing the overall C sink capacity of displaced tundra.
@article{clemmensen_tipping_2021,
	title = {A tipping point in carbon storage when forest expands into tundra is related to mycorrhizal recycling of nitrogen},
	volume = {24},
	issn = {1461-023X},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.13735},
	doi = {10.1111/ele.13735},
	abstract = {Abstract Tundra ecosystems are global belowground sinks for atmospheric CO2. Ongoing warming-induced encroachment by shrubs and trees risks turning this sink into a CO2 source, resulting in a positive feedback on climate warming. To advance mechanistic understanding of how shifts in mycorrhizal types affect long-term carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks, we studied small-scale soil depth profiles of fungal communities and C?N dynamics across a subarctic-alpine forest-heath vegetation gradient. Belowground organic stocks decreased abruptly at the transition from heath to forest, linked to the presence of certain tree-associated ectomycorrhizal fungi that contribute to decomposition when mining N from organic matter. In contrast, ericoid mycorrhizal plants and fungi were associated with organic matter accumulation and slow decomposition. If climatic controls on arctic-alpine forest lines are relaxed, increased decomposition will likely outbalance increased plant productivity, decreasing the overall C sink capacity of displaced tundra.},
	number = {6},
	urldate = {2023-07-22},
	journal = {Ecology Letters},
	author = {Clemmensen, Karina Engelbrecht and Durling, Mikael Brandström and Michelsen, Anders and Hallin, Sara and Finlay, Roger D. and Lindahl, Björn D.},
	month = jun,
	year = {2021},
	note = {Publisher: John Wiley \& Sons, Ltd},
	keywords = {Arctic warming, carbon sequestration, decomposition, functional genes, meta-barcoding, mycorrhizal type, nitrogen cycling, soil fungal communities, stable isotopes, treeline ecotone},
	pages = {1193--1204},
}

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