Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Mycorrhizal fungi modify decomposition: a meta‐analysis

Journal Article · · New Phytologist
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.19748· OSTI ID:2336823

Summary

It has been proposed that ectomycorrhizal fungi can reduce decomposition while arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may enhance it. These phenomena are known as the ‘Gadgil effect’ and ‘priming effect’, respectively. However, it is unclear which one predominates globally.

We evaluated whether mycorrhizal fungi decrease or increase decomposition, and identified conditions that mediate this effect. We obtained decomposition data from 43 studies (97 trials) conducted in field or laboratory settings that controlled the access of mycorrhizal fungi to substrates colonized by saprotrophs.

Across studies, mycorrhizal fungi promoted decomposition of different substrates by 6.7% overall by favoring the priming effect over the Gadgil effect. However, we observed significant variation among studies. The substrate C : N ratio and absolute latitude influenced the effect of mycorrhizal fungi on decomposition and contributed to the variation. Specifically, mycorrhizal fungi increased decomposition at low substrate C : N and absolute latitude, but there was no discernable effect at high values. Unexpectedly, the effect of mycorrhizal fungi was not influenced by the mycorrhizal type.

Our findings challenge previous assumptions about the universality of the Gadgil effect but highlight the potential of mycorrhizal fungi to negatively influence soil carbon storage by promoting the priming effect.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0020382
OSTI ID:
2336823
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2579917
Journal Information:
New Phytologist, Journal Name: New Phytologist Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 242; ISSN 0028-646X
Publisher:
Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English

References (84)

WorldClim 2: new 1-km spatial resolution climate surfaces for global land areas: NEW CLIMATE SURFACES FOR GLOBAL LAND AREAS journal May 2017
ggplot2 book January 2016
Global patterns in root decomposition: comparisons of climate and litter quality effects journal November 2001
Ectomycorrhizal Stands Accelerate Decomposition to a Greater Extent than Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Stands in a Northern Deciduous Forest journal November 2021
C:N:P stoichiometry in soil: is there a “Redfield ratio” for the microbial biomass? journal July 2007
Arbuscular mycorrhizal hyphae promote priming of native soil organic matter mineralisation journal May 2016
Decomposition and temperature sensitivity of fine root and leaf litter of 43 mediterranean species journal April 2021
Plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi efficiently acquire Nitrogen from substrate additions by shaping the decomposer community composition and their net plant carbon demand journal March 2022
Review: lignin conversion by manganese peroxidase (MnP) journal April 2002
C:N:P stoichiometric characteristics and seasonal dynamics of leaf-root-litter-soil in plantations on the loess plateau journal August 2021
Relationships between the litter colonization by saprotrophic and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with depth in a tropical forest journal July 2012
Synergy of saprotrophs with mycorrhiza for litter decomposition and hotspot formation depends on nutrient availability in the rhizosphere journal March 2022
Timber harvesting alters soil carbon mineralization and microbial community structure in coniferous forests journal July 2008
Quantitative analysis of soluble exudates produced by ectomycorrhizal roots as a response to ambient and elevated CO2 journal June 2009
Species richness of ectomycorrhizal hyphal necromass increases soil CO2 efflux under laboratory conditions journal June 2011
Contribution of exudates, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and litter depositions to the rhizosphere priming effect induced by grassland species journal January 2015
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduce decomposition of woody plant litter while increasing soil aggregation journal February 2015
Functional guild classification predicts the enzymatic role of fungi in litter and soil biogeochemistry journal September 2015
Slowed decomposition in ectomycorrhizal ecosystems is independent of plant chemistry journal November 2016
Microbial biomass phosphorus and C/N/P stoichiometry in forest floor and A horizons as affected by tree species journal August 2017
Mycelium- and root-derived C inputs differ in their impacts on soil organic C pools and decomposition in forests journal August 2018
Arbuscular mycorrhiza enhances rhizodeposition and reduces the rhizosphere priming effect on the decomposition of soil organic matter journal January 2020
Abundance of saprotrophic fungi determines decomposition rates of leaf litter from arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal trees in a subtropical forest journal October 2020
Global patterns in mycorrhizal mediation of soil carbon storage, stability, and nitrogen demand: A meta-analysis journal March 2022
Mycorrhiza and Litter Decomposition journal September 1971
An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus accelerates decomposition and acquires nitrogen directly from organic material journal September 2001
Shift in fungal communities and associated enzyme activities along an age gradient of managed Pinus sylvestris stands journal January 2017
Mycorrhiza-mediated competition between plants and decomposers drives soil carbon storage journal January 2014
Convergent losses of decay mechanisms and rapid turnover of symbiosis genes in mycorrhizal mutualists journal February 2015
Contrasting effects of ectomycorrhizal fungi on early and late stage decomposition in a boreal forest journal June 2018
The soil organic matter decomposition mechanisms in ectomycorrhizal fungi are tuned for liberating soil organic nitrogen journal December 2018
Global mycorrhizal plant distribution linked to terrestrial carbon stocks journal November 2019
Interactions between microbial diversity and substrate chemistry determine the fate of carbon in soil journal September 2021
Does conversion of forest to agricultural land change soil carbon and nitrogen? a review of the literature journal February 2002
Substantial nitrogen acquisition by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from organic material has implications for N cycling journal July 2010
Genome of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus provides insight into the oldest plant symbiosis journal November 2013
Decomposition responses to climate depend on microbial community composition journal November 2018
Restriction of plant roots in boreal forest organic soils affects the microbial community but does not change the dominance from ectomycorrhizal to saprotrophic fungi journal August 2019
Mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal guilds compete for the same organic substrates but affect decomposition differently journal May 2016
Mycelia‐derived C contributes more to nitrogen cycling than root‐derived C in ectomycorrhizal alpine forests journal November 2018
Decay rates of leaf litters from arbuscular mycorrhizal trees are more sensitive to soil effects than litters from ectomycorrhizal trees journal October 2015
Do arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi stabilize litter-derived carbon in soil? journal November 2015
Mycorrhizal associations of trees have different indirect effects on organic matter decomposition journal July 2016
Slow decomposition of leaf litter from matureFagus sylvaticatrees promotes offspring nitrogen acquisition by interacting with ectomycorrhizal fungi journal October 2016
Melanization of mycorrhizal fungal necromass structures microbial decomposer communities journal February 2018
Interactions among decaying leaf litter, root litter and soil organic matter vary with mycorrhizal type journal February 2018
Mycorrhizal tree impacts on topsoil biogeochemical properties in tropical forests journal March 2022
An arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus significantly modifies the soil bacterial community and nitrogen cycling during litter decomposition: AMF alters soil bacterial community and N cycling journal January 2013
Root and arbuscular mycorrhizal mycelial interactions with soil microorganisms in lowland tropical forest journal March 2013
Ectomycorrhizal fungi slow soil carbon cycling journal June 2016
A group of ectomycorrhizal fungi restricts organic matter accumulation in boreal forest journal May 2021
Decay by ectomycorrhizal fungi couples soil organic matter to nitrogen availability journal November 2021
Tree mycorrhizal type predicts within-site variability in the storage and distribution of soil organic matter journal April 2018
Decomposers in disguise: mycorrhizal fungi as regulators of soil C dynamics in ecosystems under global change journal December 2008
Organic nutrient uptake by mycorrhizal fungi enhances ecosystem carbon storage: a model-based assessment: Organic nutrient uptake enhances soil C journal March 2011
Carbon : nitrogen stoichiometry in forest ecosystems during stand development journal October 2010
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi can transfer substantial amounts of nitrogen to their host plant from organic material journal September 2008
Interactions between an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus and a soil microbial community mediating litter decomposition journal January 2012
Ectomycorrhizal fungi - potential organic matter decomposers, yet not saprotrophs journal December 2014
Mycorrhizal type determines the magnitude and direction of root-induced changes in decomposition in a temperate forest journal January 2015
Revisiting the ‘Gadgil effect’: do interguild fungal interactions control carbon cycling in forest soils? journal September 2015
Ectomycorrhizal fungi decompose soil organic matter using oxidative mechanisms adapted from saprotrophic ancestors journal November 2015
Similar below-ground carbon cycling dynamics but contrasting modes of nitrogen cycling between arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal forests journal September 2016
Leaf litter decay rates differ between mycorrhizal groups in temperate, but not tropical, forests journal November 2018
Resource‐ratio theory predicts mycorrhizal control of litter decomposition journal May 2019
Decelerated carbon cycling by ectomycorrhizal fungi is controlled by substrate quality and community composition journal November 2019
Fine roots and mycorrhizal fungi accelerate leaf litter decomposition in a northern hardwood forest regardless of dominant tree mycorrhizal associations journal February 2021
Soil fertility relates to fungal‐mediated decomposition and organic matter turnover in a temperate mountain forest journal May 2021
Ectomycorrhizal fungal decay traits along a soil nitrogen gradient journal October 2021
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Increase Organic Carbon Decomposition Under Elevated CO2 journal August 2012
Effects of clear-cutting on decomposition rates of litter and forest floor in forests of British Columbia journal November 2000
Seasonal patterns of soil respiration and CO2 evolution following harvesting in the white spruce forests of interior Alaska journal April 1987
Respiration, nitrogen fixation, and mineralizable nitrogen spatial and temporal patterns within two Oregon Douglas-fir stands journal April 1997
Mycorrhizal Fungi as Mediators of Soil Organic Matter Dynamics journal November 2019
Conducting Meta-Analyses in R with the metafor Package journal January 2010
Nitrogen Mineralization: Challenges of a Changing Paradigm journal March 2004
Stoichiometric controls on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics in decomposing litter journal February 2010
Interactions among lignin, cellulose, and nitrogen drive litter chemistry–decay relationships journal February 2012
Nitrogen and Lignin Content as Predictors of Litter Decay Rates: A Microcosm Test journal February 1989
Rhizosphere priming: a nutrient perspective journal January 2013
A Survey of the Gene Repertoire of Gigaspora rosea Unravels Conserved Features among Glomeromycota for Obligate Biotrophy journal March 2016
Harvesting and slash piling affects soil respiration, soil temperature, and soil moisture regimes in Newfoundland boreal forests journal May 2009
Small Sample Meta-Analyses book February 2020
Litter-fall and decomposition in harvested and un-harvested boreal forests journal October 2012

Similar Records

Related Subjects