Speaker
Description
Forests dominated by arbuscular- (AMF) and ectomycorrhiza (EMF) differ in their carbon stocks and processes. However, differences in structure and function of higher trophic levels in these forests are largely unexplored. Here I summarise the results of our Emmy Noether project, testing hypothesis that the structure and trophic functions of soil food webs differ between AMF and EMF temperate forests. Using a combination of labelling and natural stable isotope composition analysis, we found different dynamics of particulate and mineral-associated soil organic matter but generally consistent trophic niches of soil invertebrates across the mycorrhiza types (with slightly higher importance of bacteria in EMF). Energy flux distribution varied with mycorrhiza types, suggesting that EMF isolate part of the energy from the food web. Observed functional differences between the soil food webs may explain functional differences between these forest types, which will be tested in the next project step.
| Status Group | Senior Scientist |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | No, I prefer to present only as a talk. |
