Warming influences carbon and nitrogen assimilation between a widespread Ericaceous shrub and root-associated fungi

High-latitude ecosystems are warming faster than other biomes and are often dominated by a ground layer of Ericaceous shrubs, which can respond positively to warming. The carbon-for-nitrogen (C-for-N) exchange between Ericaceous shrubs and root-associated fungi may underlie shrub responses to warming, but has been understudied. In a glasshouse setting, we examined the effects of warming on the C-for-N exchange between the Ericaceous shrub Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum and its root-associated fungi. We applied different 13C and 15N isotope labels, including a simple organic N form (glycine) and a complex organic N form (moss litter) and quantified their assimilation into soil, plant biomass, and root fungal biomass pools. We found that warming lowered the amount of 13C partitioned to root-associated fungi per unit of glycine 15N assimilated by E. nigrum, but only in the short term. By contrast, warming increased the amount of 13C partitioned to root-associated fungi per unit of moss 15N assimilated by E. nigrum. Our study suggests that climate warming affects the short-term exchange of C and N between a widespread Ericaceous shrub and root-associated fungi. Furthermore, while most isotope tracing studies use labile N sources, we demonstrate that a ubiquitous recalcitrant N source may produce contrasting results.

Automated summary

The study found that climate warming affects the exchange of carbon and nitrogen between Ericaceous shrubs and root-associated fungi. The effects of warming on this exchange depend on the form of nitrogen. In the short term, warming decreases the amount of carbon allocated to root-associated fungi per unit of glycine assimilated by the shrubs, but increases it per unit of moss assimilated.