Nitrogen and carbon isotopes in Finnish wood decay fungi

This provides statistical analyses and supplementary data for carbon and nitrogen isotopes in wood decay fungi from three Picea abies stands in Finland. Original data were from: Chen J, Heikkinen J, Hobbie E, Rinne-Garmston K, Penttilä R, Mäkipää R (2019) Strategies of carbon and nitrogen acquisition by saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi in Finnish boreal Picea abies-dominated forests. Fungal biology 123 (6):456-464.
Abstract of our work is:
We examined whether sporocarp carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ13C and δ15N values) reflected different functional strategies in 15 species of wood decay fungi. In Finnish Picea abies forests, we compared sporocarp δ13C and δ15N against log diameter, proximity to ground, and wood decay type (brown rot, nonselective white rot, and selective white rot (targeting hemicellulose and lignin preferentially). In regression analysis (adjusted r2 = 0.576), species accounted for 31% of variability in δ13C, with factors influencing wood δ13C accounting for the remainder. Brown rot fungi and three white rot fungi that selectively attacked hemicellulose (Heterobasidion parviporum, Phellopilus nigrolimitatus, and Trichaptum abietinum) were higher in δ13C than nonselective white rot fungi. This was attributed to greater assimilation of 13C-enriched pentoses by these fungi. The parasitic white rot fungus Heterobasidion parviporum had higher δ15N with proximity to ground and increasing log size. This suggested that 15N-enriched soil N contributed to decomposing logs and that Heterobasidion growing from a bigger resource base had increased access to soil N. These isotopic patterns accordingly reflected both functional diversity of wood decay fungi and site-specific factors. In review at Fungal Ecology.