Estimates of carbon allocation to ectomycorrhizal fungi in a temperate forest

Nitrogen (N) limitation restricts net primary productivity both globally and within the northeastern United States; therefore limiting the amount of carbon stored. Despite the importance of N to carbon (C) storage, we still lack an understanding of how trees compete for N belowground. In the Northeasters UN, trees associate with two main groups of fungal symbionts which supply the plant nitrogen, either ectomcorrhizal (ECM) or arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Since ECM creates an extensive hyphal network and has strong enzymatic capabilities, they are generally favored in forests with low N availabilities; however they have a higher C demand.

Here we attempt to provide a more thorough understanding of whole-plant carbon allocation in temperate forests, by quantifying wood, foliar, and root NPP, as well as belowground C allocation to ECM fungi. The study was conducted across plots with a range of N availability and tree species composition within Bartlett Experimental Forest (BEF), NH, a current NEON site.

Ingrowth core-methods utilized in the study indicate there is high soil fungal biomass in N-poor sites than at N-rich sites with the N-poor sites averaging at 600 grams of fungal carbon per meter squared compared to the N-rich sites having less than 200 grams. Soil, foliar, and root N isotopes (δ¹⁵N) show evidence of enhanced N isotope fractionation and C allocation to mycorrhizal fungi in the N-poor sites. Results from this study are being used to incorporate C allocation to mycorrhizal fungi into a process-based forest ecosystem.