D. Jean Lodge
Deyaneira A. Ortiz-Iglesias
Tatiana Barreto-Vélez
Laura C. Rubio-Lebrón
Hieu P. Chu
Christine S. O'Connell
Sasha C. Reed
Tana E. Wood
Ari E. Puentes
2026
<p><span id="_mce_caret" data-mce-bogus="1" data-mce-type="format-caret"><span>Wet tropical forests are experiencing rising temperatures and increased frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events, such as cyclones, which can increase rates of soil erosion and surface runoff. Fungal litter mats, formed by agaric decomposer fungi, play a crucial role in stabilizing slopes, preventing erosion, and aiding nutrient cycling; however, little is known about how warming affects litter mat growth and function. We investigated two litter mat-forming fungi, </span><i>Gymnopus johnstonii</i><span> and </span><i>Marasmius</i><span> aff. </span><i>crinis-equi</i><span>, in warmed (+4°C above ambient) and control plots in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Growth and time-to-leaf colonization were monitored over 6 weeks in spring (both species) and summer (</span><i>G. johnstonii</i><span> only). We hypothesized that warming would inhibit fungal mat growth and slow leaf colonization, particularly for </span><i>G. johnstonii</i><span> since it is drought sensitive. As expected, warming significantly reduced relative growth rates (RGR) in spring, though </span><i>M.</i><span> aff. </span><i>crinis-equi</i><span> showed slightly higher RGR than </span><i>G. johnstonii</i><span>. Leaf colonization was also delayed by 22% in warmed plots, with </span><i>M.</i><span> aff. </span><i>crinis-equi</i><span> colonizing leaves 4.3 times faster than </span><i>G. johnstonii</i><span>. There were significant seasonal differences in response to warming for </span><i>G. johnstonii</i><span>, with warming increasing RGR during the consistently wetter summer sampling period. Overall, warming led to significant inhibition of leaf colonization when conditions were dry, whereas there was a trend toward increased colonization in warm and wet conditions. Our findings suggest that warming, combined with drier conditions, is likely to suppress drought-sensitive fungal mat growth, reducing their ability to prevent nutrient and soil loss via erosion.</span></span></p>
application/pdf
10.1111/btp.70201
en
Wiley
Effects of warming on growth and leaf colonization by litter mat-forming fungi in a wet tropical forest in Puerto Rico
article