Biomass, community structure and phosphorus uptake of ectomycorrhizal fungi in response to phosphorus limitation and nitrogen deposition
Popular science summaryMycorrhizal associations Mycorrhizal fungi are organisms that live in association with plant roots and provide plants with water and nutrients in exchange for the sugars obtained during photosynthesis. In forested ecosystems mycorrhizal fungi are crucial for tree nutrition and trees rely heavily on these associations to take up key elements like nitrogen and phosphorus. As rHigh levels of nitrogen (N) deposition might result in a transition from N to phosphorus (P) limitation in high latitude forests. Thiscould have fundamental consequences for forest production, nutrient acquisition and nutrient leaching.I studied a Norway spruce forest in a region of high N deposition in southwest Sweden and added N, P or N+P to force thesystem to N or P limitation. I studied tree