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The influence of soil warming on organic carbon sequestration of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a sub-arctic grassland

Zhang, Jing LU ; Ekblad, Alf ; Sigurdsson, Bjarni D. and Wallander, Håkan LU orcid (2020) In Soil Biology and Biochemistry 147.
Abstract

A substantial portion of grassland photosynthates is allocated belowground to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but controversy remains about whether this carbon (C) contributes to soil organic carbon (SOC) under warming. The goal of this study was to investigate how AMF biomass and C sequestered by AMF (CNew) are influenced by soil warming. We estimated the AMF biomass and CNew, assumed to be mostly AMF necromass, in mycelial ingrowth bags buried for 1, 2, or 3 years in soil under warming (~+0.5–16.4 °C). The AMF biomass had a positive, curvilinear response to warming gradients after one year of burial. About 107 g C m−2 of CNew accumulated over the three years and ~12% of this C was from... (More)

A substantial portion of grassland photosynthates is allocated belowground to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but controversy remains about whether this carbon (C) contributes to soil organic carbon (SOC) under warming. The goal of this study was to investigate how AMF biomass and C sequestered by AMF (CNew) are influenced by soil warming. We estimated the AMF biomass and CNew, assumed to be mostly AMF necromass, in mycelial ingrowth bags buried for 1, 2, or 3 years in soil under warming (~+0.5–16.4 °C). The AMF biomass had a positive, curvilinear response to warming gradients after one year of burial. About 107 g C m−2 of CNew accumulated over the three years and ~12% of this C was from glomalin-related soil protein. Modelling suggested the production rate of AMF biomass was 153 g C m−2 yr−1 with a rapid (36–75 days) turnover while AMF necromass turnover was much slower (1.4 ± 0.2 yr−1). Warming duration (7–9 years vs. > 50 years) did not have significant influence on AMF biomass or CNew (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that AMF are more tolerant to increases in temperature than other microbes or fine roots. The dramatic loss of soil C and stable soil aggregates under warming found earlier at this site were not attributed to a decrease in AMF biomass or CNew. Despite a low AMF standing biomass, its contribution to SOC may be substantial.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Fungal biomass, Fungal necromass, Geothermal warming, Glomalin-related soil protein, Ingrowth mesh bags
in
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
volume
147
article number
107826
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85085127501
ISSN
0038-0717
DOI
10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107826
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c86f962e-8dfa-41d3-9555-aed70782e407
date added to LUP
2020-06-08 15:52:57
date last changed
2022-04-18 22:43:42
@article{c86f962e-8dfa-41d3-9555-aed70782e407,
  abstract     = {{<p>A substantial portion of grassland photosynthates is allocated belowground to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), but controversy remains about whether this carbon (C) contributes to soil organic carbon (SOC) under warming. The goal of this study was to investigate how AMF biomass and C sequestered by AMF (C<sub>New</sub>) are influenced by soil warming. We estimated the AMF biomass and C<sub>New</sub>, assumed to be mostly AMF necromass, in mycelial ingrowth bags buried for 1, 2, or 3 years in soil under warming (~+0.5–16.4 °C). The AMF biomass had a positive, curvilinear response to warming gradients after one year of burial. About 107 g C m<sup>−2</sup> of C<sub>New</sub> accumulated over the three years and ~12% of this C was from glomalin-related soil protein. Modelling suggested the production rate of AMF biomass was 153 g C m<sup>−2</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup> with a rapid (36–75 days) turnover while AMF necromass turnover was much slower (1.4 ± 0.2 yr<sup>−1</sup>). Warming duration (7–9 years vs. &gt; 50 years) did not have significant influence on AMF biomass or C<sub>New</sub> (P &gt; 0.05). Our results suggest that AMF are more tolerant to increases in temperature than other microbes or fine roots. The dramatic loss of soil C and stable soil aggregates under warming found earlier at this site were not attributed to a decrease in AMF biomass or C<sub>New.</sub> Despite a low AMF standing biomass, its contribution to SOC may be substantial.</p>}},
  author       = {{Zhang, Jing and Ekblad, Alf and Sigurdsson, Bjarni D. and Wallander, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{0038-0717}},
  keywords     = {{Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; Fungal biomass; Fungal necromass; Geothermal warming; Glomalin-related soil protein; Ingrowth mesh bags}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Soil Biology and Biochemistry}},
  title        = {{The influence of soil warming on organic carbon sequestration of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a sub-arctic grassland}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107826}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.soilbio.2020.107826}},
  volume       = {{147}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}