Global mycorrhizal plant distribution linked to terrestrial carbon stocks

Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia (), Peter M. Bodegom, César Terrer, Maarten van’t Zelfde, Ian McCallum, M. Luke McCormack, Joshua B. Fisher, Mark C. Brundrett, Nuno César Sá and Leho Tedersoo
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Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia: Leiden University
Peter M. Bodegom: Leiden University
César Terrer: Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA) Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Maarten van’t Zelfde: Leiden University
Ian McCallum: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
M. Luke McCormack: The Morton Arboretum
Joshua B. Fisher: California Institute of Technology
Mark C. Brundrett: University of Western Australia
Nuno César Sá: Leiden University
Leho Tedersoo: University of Tartu

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Vegetation impacts on ecosystem functioning are mediated by mycorrhizas, plant–fungal associations formed by most plant species. Ecosystems dominated by distinct mycorrhizal types differ strongly in their biogeochemistry. Quantitative analyses of mycorrhizal impacts on ecosystem functioning are hindered by the scarcity of information on mycorrhizal distributions. Here we present global, high-resolution maps of vegetation biomass distribution by dominant mycorrhizal associations. Arbuscular, ectomycorrhizal, and ericoid mycorrhizal vegetation store, respectively, 241 ± 15, 100 ± 17, and 7 ± 1.8 GT carbon in aboveground biomass, whereas non-mycorrhizal vegetation stores 29 ± 5.5 GT carbon. Soil carbon stocks in both topsoil and subsoil are positively related to the community-level biomass fraction of ectomycorrhizal plants, though the strength of this relationship varies across biomes. We show that human-induced transformations of Earth’s ecosystems have reduced ectomycorrhizal vegetation, with potential ramifications to terrestrial carbon stocks. Our work provides a benchmark for spatially explicit and globally quantitative assessments of mycorrhizal impacts on ecosystem functioning and biogeochemical cycling.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13019-2

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