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Functional convergence in the decomposition of fungal necromass in soil and wood

Maillard, François LU ; Schilling, Jonathan ; Andrews, Erin ; Schreiner, Kathryn M. and Kennedy, Peter (2020) In FEMS Microbiology Ecology 96(2).
Abstract

Understanding the post-senescent fate of fungal mycelium is critical to accurately quantifying forest carbon and nutrient cycling, but how this organic matter source decomposes in wood remains poorly studied. In this study, we compared the decomposition of dead fungal biomass (a.k.a. necromass) of two species, Mortierella elongata and Meliniomyces bicolor, in paired wood and soil plots in a boreal forest in northern Minnesota, USA. Mass loss was quantified at four time points over an 8-week incubation and the richness and composition of the fungal communities colonizing fungal necromass were characterized using high-throughput sequencing. We found that the structure of fungal decomposer communities in wood and soil differed, but, in... (More)

Understanding the post-senescent fate of fungal mycelium is critical to accurately quantifying forest carbon and nutrient cycling, but how this organic matter source decomposes in wood remains poorly studied. In this study, we compared the decomposition of dead fungal biomass (a.k.a. necromass) of two species, Mortierella elongata and Meliniomyces bicolor, in paired wood and soil plots in a boreal forest in northern Minnesota, USA. Mass loss was quantified at four time points over an 8-week incubation and the richness and composition of the fungal communities colonizing fungal necromass were characterized using high-throughput sequencing. We found that the structure of fungal decomposer communities in wood and soil differed, but, in both habitats, there was relatively rapid decay (∼30% remaining after 56 days). Mass loss was significantly faster in soil and for high-quality (i.e. high nitrogen and low melanin) fungal necromass. In both habitats, there was a clear trajectory of early colonization by opportunistic fungal taxa followed by colonization of fungi with greater enzymatic capacities to degrade more recalcitrant compounds, including white-rot and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Collectively, our results indicate that patterns emerging regarding substrate quality effects on fungal necromass decomposition in soil and leaf litter can be largely extended to fungal necromass decomposition in wood.

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author
; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
keywords
boreal forest, decomposition, fungi, mycelial turnover, soil, wood
in
FEMS Microbiology Ecology
volume
96
issue
2
article number
fiz209
publisher
Oxford University Press
external identifiers
  • pmid:31868883
  • scopus:85077943341
ISSN
0168-6496
DOI
10.1093/femsec/fiz209
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2020 FEMS.
id
3b33088c-0c68-4801-b4a0-ddbc4a86382a
date added to LUP
2024-06-02 15:02:04
date last changed
2024-06-05 11:43:08
@article{3b33088c-0c68-4801-b4a0-ddbc4a86382a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Understanding the post-senescent fate of fungal mycelium is critical to accurately quantifying forest carbon and nutrient cycling, but how this organic matter source decomposes in wood remains poorly studied. In this study, we compared the decomposition of dead fungal biomass (a.k.a. necromass) of two species, Mortierella elongata and Meliniomyces bicolor, in paired wood and soil plots in a boreal forest in northern Minnesota, USA. Mass loss was quantified at four time points over an 8-week incubation and the richness and composition of the fungal communities colonizing fungal necromass were characterized using high-throughput sequencing. We found that the structure of fungal decomposer communities in wood and soil differed, but, in both habitats, there was relatively rapid decay (∼30% remaining after 56 days). Mass loss was significantly faster in soil and for high-quality (i.e. high nitrogen and low melanin) fungal necromass. In both habitats, there was a clear trajectory of early colonization by opportunistic fungal taxa followed by colonization of fungi with greater enzymatic capacities to degrade more recalcitrant compounds, including white-rot and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Collectively, our results indicate that patterns emerging regarding substrate quality effects on fungal necromass decomposition in soil and leaf litter can be largely extended to fungal necromass decomposition in wood.</p>}},
  author       = {{Maillard, François and Schilling, Jonathan and Andrews, Erin and Schreiner, Kathryn M. and Kennedy, Peter}},
  issn         = {{0168-6496}},
  keywords     = {{boreal forest; decomposition; fungi; mycelial turnover; soil; wood}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{02}},
  number       = {{2}},
  publisher    = {{Oxford University Press}},
  series       = {{FEMS Microbiology Ecology}},
  title        = {{Functional convergence in the decomposition of fungal necromass in soil and wood}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiz209}},
  doi          = {{10.1093/femsec/fiz209}},
  volume       = {{96}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}