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Roots and Associated Fungi Drive Long-Term Carbon Sequestration in Boreal Forest

Clemmensen, K. E. ; Bahr, Adam LU ; Ovaskainen, O. ; Dahlberg, A. ; Ekblad, A. ; Wallander, Håkan LU orcid ; Stenlid, J. ; Finlay, R. D. ; Wardle, D. A. and Lindahl, B. D. (2013) In Science 339(6127). p.1615-1618
Abstract
Boreal forest soils function as a terrestrial net sink in the global carbon cycle. The prevailing dogma has focused on aboveground plant litter as a principal source of soil organic matter. Using C-14 bomb-carbon modeling, we show that 50 to 70% of stored carbon in a chronosequence of boreal forested islands derives from roots and root-associated microorganisms. Fungal biomarkers indicate impaired degradation and preservation of fungal residues in late successional forests. Furthermore, 454 pyrosequencing of molecular barcodes, in conjunction with stable isotope analyses, highlights root-associated fungi as important regulators of ecosystem carbon dynamics. Our results suggest an alternative mechanism for the accumulation of organic matter... (More)
Boreal forest soils function as a terrestrial net sink in the global carbon cycle. The prevailing dogma has focused on aboveground plant litter as a principal source of soil organic matter. Using C-14 bomb-carbon modeling, we show that 50 to 70% of stored carbon in a chronosequence of boreal forested islands derives from roots and root-associated microorganisms. Fungal biomarkers indicate impaired degradation and preservation of fungal residues in late successional forests. Furthermore, 454 pyrosequencing of molecular barcodes, in conjunction with stable isotope analyses, highlights root-associated fungi as important regulators of ecosystem carbon dynamics. Our results suggest an alternative mechanism for the accumulation of organic matter in boreal forests during succession in the long-term absence of disturbance. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Science
volume
339
issue
6127
pages
1615 - 1618
publisher
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
external identifiers
  • wos:000316731600051
  • scopus:84875490014
  • pmid:23539604
ISSN
1095-9203
DOI
10.1126/science.1231923
project
Ectomycorrhizal fungi and nutrient mobilisation
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a1ecce16-8b03-4cfb-a3db-b21c398fd749 (old id 3749773)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 13:22:55
date last changed
2025-10-14 10:53:26
@article{a1ecce16-8b03-4cfb-a3db-b21c398fd749,
  abstract     = {{Boreal forest soils function as a terrestrial net sink in the global carbon cycle. The prevailing dogma has focused on aboveground plant litter as a principal source of soil organic matter. Using C-14 bomb-carbon modeling, we show that 50 to 70% of stored carbon in a chronosequence of boreal forested islands derives from roots and root-associated microorganisms. Fungal biomarkers indicate impaired degradation and preservation of fungal residues in late successional forests. Furthermore, 454 pyrosequencing of molecular barcodes, in conjunction with stable isotope analyses, highlights root-associated fungi as important regulators of ecosystem carbon dynamics. Our results suggest an alternative mechanism for the accumulation of organic matter in boreal forests during succession in the long-term absence of disturbance.}},
  author       = {{Clemmensen, K. E. and Bahr, Adam and Ovaskainen, O. and Dahlberg, A. and Ekblad, A. and Wallander, Håkan and Stenlid, J. and Finlay, R. D. and Wardle, D. A. and Lindahl, B. D.}},
  issn         = {{1095-9203}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{6127}},
  pages        = {{1615--1618}},
  publisher    = {{American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}},
  series       = {{Science}},
  title        = {{Roots and Associated Fungi Drive Long-Term Carbon Sequestration in Boreal Forest}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1231923}},
  doi          = {{10.1126/science.1231923}},
  volume       = {{339}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}