Data and R code for “Tree growth response to shifting soil nutrient economy depends on mycorrhizal associations”, New Phytologist, 2019.

The mycorrhizal-associated nutrient economy hypothesis proposes a
strong connection between plant and fungal traits and the dominant
form of soil nutrients. If true, then shifting from an organic to an
inorganic nutrient economy should benefit arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM)
trees because they are more suited to acquiring inorganic forms of
nutrients and have limited decomposing capabilities when compared to
ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees. An inorganic nutrient economy was experimentally promoted by applying
inorganic phosphorus (P) fertilizer and/or elevating soil pH with lime
in three Allegheny Plateau mixed mesophytic forests. Trees were
measured over seven growing seasons to determine how growth responded
to the treatments based on mycorrhizal association. AM-associated trees showed increased growth in response to increased
inorganic nutrients, but ECM tree growth was suppressed when compared
to the control. We also observed that understory and mid-story trees
responded to the treatments, but large overstory trees showed no
significant growth response. Results support the hypothesis that AM trees respond positively to an
inorganic nutrient economy. While raising pH in acidic soils can be
detrimental to ECM tree growth, the exact mechanism for this response
is unclear