Plant communities change above- and belowground based on mycorrhizal associations in subarctic tundra
Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Arctic amplification drives "shrubification" in the tundra, where larger shrubs associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi displace dwarf shrubs linked to ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM) fungi. This study investigated the relationship between above- and belowground plant traits within a long-term removal experiment (ALTER project, Abisko). During the 2025 growing season, minirhizotron scanning and measurements of aboveground traits (including specific leaf area (SLA), shoot growth, and community composition) were performed. After six (to seven) years of consistent removal experiment, results indicate that a 50% reduction in aboveground biomass corresponds to only a 25% loss in belowground biomass, with ERM belowground traits demonstrating resistance to random biomass removal. Conversely, specific ERM plant removal promotes ECM species, such as Betula nana, by increasing root biomass and length. While single-species SLA remains stable across treatments, evergreen shrubs, specifically, Empetrum nigrum exhibit a non-linear response to neighbour-release and removal gradients. Notably, the decline in graminoid relative abundance following biomass and ECM removal suggests critical positive interspecific interactions. These findings highlight the complex, non-linear dependencies between mycorrhizal systems and plant community stability with consequences for soil carbon (C) storage, in a changing Arctic.
Author: Almeida, Juliana
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDGs: Life on land, Climate action
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7148219797