Alpine_soil_and_root_mycobiome_study

With the warming climate in alpine areas, the elevational limit for trees is increasing. Studies show variability on global and local scale in the realized range expansion. As obligate mycorrhizal plants, alpine trees such as Betula pubescens may be limited by the fungal community above the treeline, which is adapted to other vegetation types. We set up a cross-factorial experiment cultivating seedlings in alpine and boreal soil, at alpine and boreal temperatures, to test whether the fungal community may limit seedling establishment. We found that alpine soils contained fewer ectomycorrhizal fungi in general and that seedlings cultivated in alpine soil were smaller and recruited fewer ectomycorrhizal fungi in their root compared to seedlings cultivated in boreal soil. Our results indicate a link between seedling success, soil fungal community and mycorrhizal colonization. We suggest unsuccessful mycorrhization of seedlings above the treeline may be limiting for treeline expansion under increased alpine temperatures.