Journal Article

Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses

Institut National Polytechnique Yamoussoukro, University of Minnesota [Twin Cities] (UMN) ; University of Minnesota System, van Nuland, M, Département Environnements et Sociétés (Cirad-ES) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), Routh, D, SILVA (SILVA) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AgroParisTech-Université de Lorraine (UL), Werner, G, Beijing Forestry University, De-Miguel, S, Picard, N, Liang, J, Marcon, Eric, Reich, B, Purdue University [West Lafayette], Zhao, X, Nabuurs, G, Ecologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR ECOFOG) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AgroParisTech-Université de Guyane (UG)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA), Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), Zhou, M, Universitat de Lleida, Serra-Diaz, Josep, Steidinger, B, Consortium, Gfbi, Stanford University, Centre de Cièn

2019

Overview

The identity of the dominant root-associated microbial symbionts in a forest determines the ability of trees to access limiting nutrients from atmospheric or soil pools1,2, sequester carbon3,4 and withstand the effects of climate change5,6. Characterizing the global distribution of these symbioses and identifying the factors that control this distribution are thus integral to understanding the present and future functioning of forest ecosystems. Here we generate a spatially explicit global map of the symbiotic status of forests, using a database of over 1.1 million forest inventory plots that collectively contain over 28,000 tree species. Our analyses indicate that climate variables—in particular, climatically controlled variation in the rate of decomposition—are the primary drivers of the global distribution of major symbioses. We estimate that ectomycorrhizal trees, which represent only 2% of all plant species7, constitute approximately 60% of tree stems on Earth. Ectomycorrhizal symbiosis dominates forests in which seasonally cold and dry climates inhibit decomposition, and is the predominant form of symbiosis at high latitudes and elevation. By contrast, arbuscular mycorrhizal trees dominate in aseasonal, warm tropical forests, and occur with ectomycorrhizal trees in temperate biomes in which seasonally warm-and-wet climates enhance decomposition. Continental transitions between forests dominated by ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal trees occur relatively abruptly along climate-driven decomposition gradients; these transitions are probably caused by positive feedback effects between plants and microorganisms. Symbiotic nitrogen fixers—which are insensitive to climatic controls on decomposition (compared with mycorrhizal fungi)—are most abundant in arid biomes with alkaline soils and high maximum temperatures. The climatically driven global symbiosis gradient that we document provides a spatially explicit quantitative understanding of microbial symbioses at the global scale, and demonstrates the critical role of microbial mutualisms in shaping the distribution of plant species.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group,HAL CCSD,Nature Publishing Group UK
• Subject: 631/158/852 / 631/158/855 / 704/158/2454 / Agricultural sciences / Alkaline soils / Alterra - Vegetatie, bos- en landschapsecologie / Alterra - Vegetation, forest and landscape ecology / Analysis / Arbuscular mycorrhizas / Aridity / Biodegradation / Biodiversity / Biodiversity and Ecology / Biogeography / Biometris / Biometris (PPO/PRI) / Bos- en Natuurbeleid / Bosecologie en Bosbeheer / Carbon sequestration / Climate / Climate change / Climate control / Climate effects / Climatic analysis / Cold climates / Control / Decomposition / Distribution / Ectomycorrhizas / Elevation / Environmental aspects / Environmental Sciences / Environmental sciences & ecology / Flowers & plants / Forest and Nature Conservation Policy / Forest Ecology and Forest Management / Forest ecosystems / Forest Science / Forests / Fungi / Geographic Mapping / Global temperatures / Humanities and Social Sciences / International aspects / Laboratorium voor Geo-informatiekunde en remote sensing / Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing / Leerstoelgroep Bos- en natuurbeleid / Leerstoelgroep Bosecologie en bosbeheer / Letter / Life Sciences / Limiting nutrients / Maximum temperatures / Microorganisms / multidisciplinary / Mycorrhizae - physiology / Nitrogen Fixation / Nutrients / PE&RC / Phytogeography / Plant species / Positive feedback / Rain / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Sciences de l’environnement & écologie / Sciences du vivant / Seasons / Silviculture, forestry / Skogsvetenskap / Soil nutrients / Species / Symbionts / Symbiosis / Terrestrial ecosystems / Trees / Trees (Plants) / Trees - metabolism / Trees - microbiology / Tropical forests / Vegetatie, Bos- en Landschapsecologie / Vegetation, Forest and Landscape Ecology / Wet climates
• ISBN: 0004681237000