Mycorrhizal Types and Soil Carbon Storage: A mechanistic theory of fungal mediated soil organic matter cycling in temperate forests

Introduction

The world's soils are the largest terrestrial reservoir of organic carbon (C). Feedbacks between soil organic C and atmospheric CO2 will determine the future trajectory of climate change. However, predictions are largely uncertain because we still lack fundamental knowledge of the complex interplay between plants and microorganisms and its influence on C turnover.

Mycorrhizal Fungi and Soil Carbon

Most terrestrial plants live in symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi. Previous work suggests that on a global scale, soil C stocks are linked to the distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) or ectomycorrhizal (ECM) plants. To date, it is not clear whether there is a causal relationship between mycorrhizal type and soil C storage.

Research Objectives

Answering this key question requires novel concepts that consider the mechanistic link between short-term C fluxes from plants to mycorrhizal fungi and C storage as an emerging ecosystem property.

Project Overview

MYCO-SoilC will yield a comparative, systematic understanding of the dynamics of C input by mycorrhizal fungi to soil, their effects on C turnover, and their implications for C storage in temperate forests dominated by AM or ECM trees. Achieving this ambitious goal, which involves a multitude of processes on different spatio-temporal scales, requires the development of groundbreaking technological innovations.

Key Innovations

Key innovations of MYCO-SoilC are:

1. Real-time visualization of 11C allocation in plant-soil systems.
2. Construction of the first moving greenhouse for 13CO2-labeling of mini-forests.
3. Coupling of quantum dot nanotechnology with isotope labeling to visualize organic nutrient uptake by fungi.
4. Combining isotope analysis with biomarker approaches to quantify the fungal necromass contribution to soil C.

Risk Management

The MYCO-SoilC approach bears significant conceptual and technical risks, which are mitigated by a response plan with alternative routes.

Expected Outcomes

MYCO-SoilC will create substantial knowledge on mycorrhizal-mediated C turnover and facilitate predictions of soil-climate feedbacks.