Mycorrhizal Fungi in Forest Ecosystem Dynamics

Mycorrhizal fungi form intimate symbioses with the roots of most tree species, driving nutrient acquisition, soil structure and carbon cycling across forest biomes worldwide. Two predominant associations—arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal—employ distinct strategies: arbuscular fungi enhance phosphorus uptake in tropical and subtropical systems, whereas ectomycorrhizal partners specialise in liberating organic nitrogen from complex soil organic matter in temperate and boreal woodlands. Extensive hyphal networks interlink trees, mediating resource redistribution, priming decomposition and bolstering resilience to environmental stressors. Variations in mycorrhizal composition influence forest productivity, species coexistence and soil carbon sequestration, with mixed mycorrhizal communities often exhibiting superior functional complementarity. Anthropogenic pressures—including nitrogen deposition and land-use change—alter fungal community structure and function, yielding cascading effects on nutrient cycling, tree vitality and long-term carbon storage. Integrating large-scale inventories, molecular diagnostics and ecological modelling, contemporary research unveils how mycorrhizal strategies underpin forest dynamics, guiding sustainable management and climate mitigation efforts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent large-scale analyses indicate that mixed mycorrhizal forests outperform stands dominated by a single mycorrhizal type in terms of productivity, especially under low tree diversity, by facilitating complementary nutrient uptake. Global cartography of mycorrhizal vegetation has quantified aboveground carbon stocks by association type, revealing that ectomycorrhizal-dominated regions maintain disproportionately high soil carbon in both topsoil and subsoil across biomes. Studies of soil fungal networks demonstrate that ectomycorrhizal seedlings connected via hyphal links to established trees enjoy enhanced growth and survival, while arbuscular mycorrhizal seedlings face greater pathogen pressure, underlining differential density-dependence and community regulation by soil fungi.

Mycorrhizal Fungi in Forest Ecosystem Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystem dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM): Symbiotic fungi that penetrate root cortical cells, enhancing phosphorus uptake and redistribution.

Ectomycorrhizae (EcM): Fungi that form a sheath around root tips and extend hyphae into the soil, specialising in organic nutrient mobilisation.

Hyphal network: Interconnected fungal filaments facilitating resource transfer among plants and soil microbes.

Nutrient resorption: Retrieval of nutrients from senescing plant tissues, often mediated by mycorrhizal activity.

Priming effect: Accelerated decomposition of soil organic matter triggered by inputs of carbon, such as photosynthates supplied to fungi.

References

1. Higher productivity in forests with mixed mycorrhizal strategies. Nature Communications (2023).
2. Tree mycorrhizal association types control biodiversity-productivity relationship in a subtropical forest. Science Advances (2023).
3. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are more sensitive to high soil nitrogen levels in forests exposed to nitrogen deposition. New Phytologist (2024).
4. Ectomycorrhizal fungi decompose soil organic matter using oxidative mechanisms adapted from saprotrophic ancestors. New Phytologist (2015).
5. Global mycorrhizal plant distribution linked to terrestrial carbon stocks. Nature Communications (2019).
6. Soil fungal networks maintain local dominance of ectomycorrhizal trees. Nature Communications (2020).