Testing the ectomycorrhizal-dominance hypothesis for ecosystem multifunctionality in a subtropical mountain forest

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Ya Huang Luo - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Liang Liang Ma - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Author)
  • Marc W. Cadotte - , University of Toronto (Author)
  • Sebastian Seibold - , Chair of Forest Zoology, Technical University of Munich, Berchtesgaden National Park (Author)
  • Jia Yun Zou - , Chair of Forest Zoology, Technical University of Munich (Author)
  • Kevin S. Burgess - , Mercer University (Author)
  • Shao Lin Tan - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Lin Jiang Ye - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Wei Zheng - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Zhi Fa Chen - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • De Tuan Liu - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Guang Fu Zhu - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Xiao Chun Shi - , Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (Author)
  • Wei Zhao - , Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (Author)
  • Zheng Bi - , Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (Author)
  • Xiang Yuan Huang - , Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (Author)
  • Jia Hua Li - , Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve (Author)
  • Jie Liu - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • De Zhu Li - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)
  • Lian Ming Gao - , CAS - Kunming Institute of Botany (Author)

Abstract

Mycorrhizal associations are key mutualisms that shape the structure of forest communities and multiple ecosystem functions. However, we lack a framework for predicting the varying dominance of distinct mycorrhizal associations in an integrated proxy of multifunctionality across ecosystems. Here, we used the datasets containing diversity of mycorrhizal associations and 18 ecosystem processes related to supporting, provisioning, and regulating services to examine how the dominance of ectomycorrhiza (EcM) associations affects ecosystem multifunctionality in subtropical mountain forests in Southwest China. Meanwhile, we synthesized the prevalence of EcM-dominant effects on ecosystem functioning in forest biomes. Our results demonstrated that elevation significantly modified the distributions of EcM trees and fungal dominance, which in turn influenced multiple functions simultaneously. Multifunctionality increased with increasing proportion of EcM associations, supporting the ectomycorrhizal-dominance hypothesis. Meanwhile, we observed that the impacts of EcM dominance on individual ecosystem functions exhibited different relationships among forest biomes. Our findings highlight the importance of ectomycorrhizal dominance in regulating multifunctionality in subtropical forests. However, this ectomycorrhizal feedback in shaping ecosystem functions cannot necessarily be generalized across forests. Therefore, we argue that the predictions for ecosystem multifunctionality in response to the shifts of mycorrhizal composition could vary across space and time.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2401-2415
Number of pages15
JournalNew phytologist
Volume243
Issue number6
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2024
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-7968-4489/work/171066120
ORCID /0000-0001-6927-2782/work/171066170

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • arbuscular mycorrhiza, biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem multifunctionality, ectomycorrhiza, elevation, forest biome, Gaoligong Mountains