Host shifts in fungi caused by climate change (original) (raw)

Relationships Between Trees and Fungi in a Time of Climate Change.

Front. Young Minds, 2023

Fungi formimportant relationshipswith trees, inwhich both the trees and the fungi benefit. Scientists recently discovered that fungi are critical in forests because they help to transfer carbon-containing materials between trees. Previously, no one knew whether these materials were distributed equally between all trees. In our study, we examined the transfer of carbon between trees planted in large containers with forest soil containing their natural fungi. We found that there is an unequal transfer of carbon between trees of di􀀀erent species: some species of trees (such as oaks) transfer more carbon to the fungi and on to trees around them than they receive; and other species (such as pines) receivemore than they transfer. Climate change is expected to make it more dicult for trees to survive. In a hot, dry world, carbon exchange between trees may be able to help trees—and possibly entire forests—to survive.

Experimental warming alters potential function of the fungal community in boreal forest

Fungal community composition often shifts in response to warmer temperatures, which might influence decomposition of recalcitrant carbon (C). We hypothesized that evolutionary trade-offs would enable recalcitrant C-using taxa to respond more positively to warming than would labile C-using taxa. Accordingly, we performed a warming experiment in an Alaskan boreal forest and examined changes in the prevalence of fungal taxa. In a complementary field trial, we characterized the ability of fungal taxa to use labile C (glucose), intermediate C (hemicellulose or cellulose), or recalcitrant C (lignin). We also assigned taxa to functional groups (e.g., free-living filamentous fungi, ecto-mycorrhizal fungi, and yeasts) based on taxonomic identity. We found that response to warming varied most among taxa at the order level, compared to other taxonomic ranks. Among orders, ability to use lignin was significantly related to increases in prevalence in response to warming. However, the relationship was weak, given that lignin use explained only 9% of the variability in warming responses. Functional groups also differed in warming responses. Specifically, free-living filamentous fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi responded positively to warming, on average, but yeasts responded negatively. Overall, warming-induced shifts in fungal communities might be accompanied by an increased ability to break down recalcitrant C. This change in potential function may reduce soil C storage under global warming.