Mast seeding in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is associated with reduced fungal sporocarp production and community diversity
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
Mast seeding is a well-documented phenomenon across diverse forest ecosystems. While its effect on aboveground food webs has been thoroughly studied, how it impacts the soil fungi that drive soil carbon and nutrient cycling has not yet been explored. To evaluate the relationship between mast seeding and fungal resource availability, we paired a Swiss 29-year fungal sporocarp census with contemporaneous seed production for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). On average, mast seeding was associated with a 55% reduction in sporocarp production and a compositional community shift towards drought-tolerant taxa across both ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic guilds. Among ectomycorrhizal fungi, traits associated with carbon cost did not explain species' sensitivity to seed production. Together, our results support a novel hypothesis that mast seeding limits annual resource availability and reproductive investment in soil fungi, creating an ecosystem ‘rhythm’ to forest processes that is synchronized above- and belowground.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Mast seeding in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) is associated with reduced fungal sporocarp production and community diversity |
| Series title | Ecology Letters |
| DOI | 10.1111/ele.14460 |
| Volume | 27 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Year Published | 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Contributing office(s) | Fort Collins Science Center |
| Description | e14460, 11 p. |
| First page | e14460 |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |