Differences in soil organic matter between EcM- and AM-dominated forests depend on tree and fungal identity

As global change shifts the species composition of forests, we need to understand which species characteristics affect soil organic matter (SOM) cycling to predict future soil carbon (C) storage. Recently, whether a tree species forms a symbiosis with arbuscular (AM) versus ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi has been suggested as a strong predictor of soil C storage, but there is wide variability within EcM systems. In this study, we investigated how mycorrhizal associations and the species composition of canopy trees and mycorrhizal fungi related to the proportion of soil C and nitrogen (N) in mineral associations and soil C:N across four sites representing distinct climates and tree communities in the eastern US broadleaf forest biome. In two of our sites, we found the expected relationship of declining mineral-associated C and N and increasing soil C:N ratios as the basal area of EcM-associating trees increased. However, across all sites these soil properties strongly correlated with canopy tree and fungal species composition. Sites where the expected pattern with EcM basal area was observed were (1) dominated by trees with lower quality litter in the Pinaceae and Fagaceae families and (2) dominated by EcM fungi with medium-distance exploration type hyphae, melanized tissues, and the potential to produce peroxidases. This observational study demonstrates that differences in SOM between AM and EcM systems are dependent on the taxa of trees and EcM fungi involved. Important information is lost when the rich mycorrhizal symbiosis is reduced to two categories.

Automated summary

As global change alters the species composition of forests, understanding the effects of tree species characteristics on soil organic matter cycling is crucial for predicting soil carbon storage. Recent studies have suggested that whether a tree species forms a symbiosis with arbuscular (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi can strongly influence soil carbon storage, but there is variability within EcM systems. This study investigated how mycorrhizal associations and the species composition of canopy trees and mycorrhizal fungi relate to soil carbon and nitrogen content and the carbon to nitrogen ratio in four different sites. The findings showed that soil properties were strongly correlated with the composition of canopy trees and fungal species, rather than simply the presence of AM or EcM symbiosis.