One of the most critical interactions in the natural world is one that is unseen, as it takes place underground. Trees rely on ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) to provide the nutrients they need in order to survive in exchange for carbon, a relationship that is crucial for their survival. According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, more than a third of the world’s tree species are currently at risk of extinction. In fact, they account for more than a quarter of all species on the Red List. This rapid extinction is caused by climate change. The shift in climate is causing species to relocate to different regions as their original homes become uninhabitable for them. However, scientists have noticed a lag in migration in tree species. The reason has to do with the partner of the tree, the fungi.
Climate change is shifting plant and microbial distributions. A study done by PNAS (The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) revealed that the suitable habitat for most tree and EMF species is projected to shift northward, towards cooler and wetter conditions. These shifts are affecting the overlap of climate suitability between plant hosts and their essential microbial symbionts. 35% of all tree-fungi partnerships are facing the prospect of shrinking areas where both the tree and fungi are able to survive. A study published online May 28 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that trees may be relocating to soils that don’t have the fungal life to support them.
This mismatch between trees and fungi has great environmental consequences. The inability of fungi to keep up with tree migration threatens the survival of tree populations. As tree species attempt to migrate towards more suitable habitats, they are unable to thrive in new habitats without their fungal partners. This tree-fungi mismatch has direct implications for forests, as well as indirect impacts on anything depending on forests to do jobs like providing fresh air, clean water, or soaking up carbon from the atmosphere. If trees cannot adapt, we risk losing these ecosystems entirely.
We cannot conserve trees and their diversity without truly understanding the importance of mycorrhizal plant interactions. Only by protecting this ecological partnership can we preserve the future of our forests, and the vital benefits they provide to our planet.
Sources:
Dzombak, Rebecca. “Climate Change Driving Trees from Fungi.” Science News, 4 Dec. 2024, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/climate-change-driving-trees-from-fungi.
Walther, Kelcie. “Study Shows Climate Change is Moving Tree Populations Away from the Soil Fungi that Sustain Them.” University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, 24 May 2024, https://seas.umich.edu/news/study-shows-climate-change-moving-tree-populations-away-soil-fungi-sustain-them.
Nuland, Michael E., Clara Qin, Peter T. Pellitier, Kai Zhu, and Kabir G. Peay. “Climate Mismatches with Ectomycorrhizal Fungi Contribute to Migration Lag in North American Tree Range Shifts.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 28 May 2024, https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2308811121.
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