Plant carbohydrate depletion, mycorrhizal networks, and vulnerability to drought: an experimental test in the field

A field experiment in ponderosa pine saplings, carbon supply to a common ectomycorrhizal (EM) network, water availability, and sapling connections to the EM network are manipulated to test effects of non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) depletion on plant hydraulics and potential carbon allocation tradeoffs between maintaining water relations and sustaining symbionts with consequences on forest vulnerability to drought. The research addresses two significant challenges for modelling forest responses to drought: how to quantify and model the interdependency between plant hydraulics and carbohydrate availability, and how to incorporate interactions with below ground symbiotic organisms.