The decomposition of ectomycorrhizal fungal necromass

By Christopher W. Fernandez, J. Langley, S. Chapman, M. L. McCormack, R. Koide. 2016

221 citations recorded by the source corpus.

The turnover of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal biomass represents a significant input into forest carbon (C) and nutrient cycles. Given the size of these fluxes, understanding the factors that control the decomposition of this necromass will greatly improve understanding of C and nutrient cycling in ecosystems. Recent research has highlighted the considerable variation in the decomposition rates of EM fungal necromass, and patterns from this research are beginning to emerge. In this article we review the research that has examined both intrinsic and extrinsic factors that control the decomposition of EM fungal necromass and propose additional factors that may strongly influence EM fungal necromass decomposition and ecosystem properties. We argue that, as with most plant litters, the stoichiometry (C:N) of EM necromass is an important factor governing decomposition, but its role is modulated by the nature of the C and N in the tissue. In particular, melanin concentration appears to negatively influence the quality of EM fungal necromass much as lignin does in plant litters. Other intrinsic factors such as the morphology of the mycelium may also play a large role and suggest this as a focus for future research. Extrinsic factors, such as decomposer community activity and physical protection by soil, are also likely to be important in governing the decomposition of ectomycorrhizal necromass in situ. Finally, we highlight the potential importance of EM fungal necromass diversity and abundance in influencing terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. Understanding the factors that control the decomposition of EM necromass will then improve the predictive power of next-generation terrestrial biosphere models.

Subfields: Insect Science, Plant Science, Soil Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/46a6d392206b416b6162d4c806fb7d51c7c09783

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Insect Science

1. P. Kennedy
2. Petr Baldrian
3. Christopher W. Fernandez

In Plant Science

1. P. Kennedy
2. Petr Baldrian
3. Christopher W. Fernandez
4. V. Merhautová
5. Jana Voříšková

In Soil Science

1. Petr Baldrian
2. P. Kennedy
3. Christopher W. Fernandez

Citations in the corpus

• Forest microbiome: diversity, complexity and dynamics. (2016, background): “Even less complete is our understanding of turnover rates, for example, in the cases of mycorrhizal roots and fungal mycelia (Ekblad et al. 2013; Brabcová et al. 2016; Fernandez et al. 2016) or the turnover of bacterial cells (Hungate et al. 2015).”
• Melanization of mycorrhizal fungal necromass structures microbial decomposer communities (2018, background): “Taken together, these findings point to the importance of understanding the factors controlling the decomposition and stabilization of the mycorrhizal fungal necromass (Fernandez & Kennedy, 2015; Fernandez et al., 2016).”