Fungal and Bacterial Communities Associated with Isotopically Labeled Carbon and Nitrogen Fungal Necromass (MelSIP)

Despite growing recognition that microbial necromass plays a central role in soil carbon (C) persistence and ecosystem nitrogen (N) availability, quantitative estimates of C and N movement from necromass into soils and decomposer communities are lacking, particularly in field settings. Here, we labeled low and high melanin fungal necromass with isotopically heavy C or N and analyzed the accumulation of both elements in soils and necromass-associated microbial communities over the course of a 77-day field incubation in a temperate conifer forest in Minnesota, USA.