Global distribution and biogeography of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi.
Odriozola I, Větrovský T, Barbi F, Machac A, Dobbler PT
Mycorrhizal Networks
The wild blueberries, heathers, and rhododendrons in your garden or the bogs near you depend on a hidden fungal partner in the soil — and that partner is now predicted to vanish from 38% of its current range as the climate shifts.
Researchers mapped the fungi that team up with blueberries, heathers, and rhododendrons across the entire globe, studying over 39,000 soil samples. They found these fungi are most common in cold, high-latitude places with carbon-rich soils, and that the chemistry of the soil matters more for where they live than the local climate or even how many of their host plants are around. The bad news: climate change is on track to reduce where these fungi can survive across more than a third of the land they currently call home.
Key Findings
Ericoid mycorrhizal fungi show peak species richness at very high latitudes, with soil chemistry being a stronger predictor than climate or host plant cover.
These fungi are most abundant in soils with high surface carbon content, supporting their role in locking carbon into the ground.
Climate change is projected to reduce ericoid mycorrhizal fungal abundance across 38% of their current global land distribution.
chevron_right Technical Summary
A global study of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi — the underground partners of heathers, blueberries, and rhododendrons — found they thrive most in high-latitude, carbon-rich soils, and that climate change could shrink their range across 38% of the land they currently occupy.
Abstract Preview
Ericoid mycorrhizal (ErM) fungi play a crucial role across terrestrial ecosystems, forming mutualistic symbiosis with Ericaceae and contributing to soil organic matter dynamics. However, compared t...
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