Arctic warming halves moist-tundra mycorrhizae
Open-top chamber warming cut moist tussock ECM OTU richness from 138 to 71, but dry tundra fungal communities showed no significant treatment effect.
Source
Summer temperature increase has distinct effects on the ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of moist tussock and dry tundra in Arctic Alaska
Study at a glance
- Design
- Other — ITEX open-top chamber warming vs controls with ECM ITS2 sequencing near Toolik, Alaska
- N
- N=20 · 20 plots (moist tussock and dry tundra, warmed vs control)
- Population
- Ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes in Alaskan moist tussock and dry tundra
- Outcome
- ECM OTU richness and community composition under experimental summer warming
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Inspect source passages
Arctic warming halves moist-tundra mycorrhizae
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Warmed moist plots had 71 ECM OTUs vs 138 in controls.
The total ECM OTU richness in the warmed plots was approximately half of that in the control plots, 71 and 138, respectively.
Four genera accounted for approximately 82% of ECM OTU richness.
Four of these dominated the communities, accounting for approximately 82% of all OTU richness: Tomentella (106 OTUs, 31%), Cortinarius (77, 22%), Inocybe (63, 18%), and Russula (34, 10%).
What they did
ITS2 Ion Torrent sequencing of ectomycorrhizal basidiomycetes from ITEX open-top chambers versus controls in moist tussock and dry tundra near Toolik, Alaska.
What they found
343 ECM OTUs; four genera held ~82% of richness. Moist tussock plot richness fell from 59±21 to 20±18 OTUs with warming (P=0.013). Dry tundra composition was uncorrelated with treatment (P=0.4288).
The limits
What it doesn't show
Sequence presence/absence is not proven function or carbon-flux change; OTCs also alter humidity and snow, so temperature is not fully isolated.
Key terms
- ECM fungi
- Ectomycorrhizal fungi that trade soil nutrients for plant carbon.
- Open-top chamber (OTC)
- Hexagonal warmer used in ITEX summer-warming experiments.
- Moist tussock tundra
- Sedge-dominated Arctic vegetation with thick organic soils.
- OTU
- 97% ITS sequence cluster used as a fungal species proxy.
- Exploration type (EMM)
- Mycelial foraging morphology (e.g., long-distance vs contact).
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Quiz yourself
Moist tussock ECM OTU totals with warming were about:
Common questions
Which tundra type lost ECM richness?
Moist tussock; richness roughly halved.
Dry tundra response?
No significant community–treatment correlation.
Dominant genera?
Tomentella, Cortinarius, Inocybe, Russula (~82%).
How was warming applied?
Hexagonal open-top chambers.
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