Data from: Explaining European fungal fruiting phenology with climate variability

Here we assess the impact of geographically dependent (latitude, longitude and altitude) changes in bioclimatic (temperature, precipitation and primary productivity) variability on fungal fruiting phenology across Europe. Two main nutritional guilds of fungi, saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal, were further separated into spring and autumn fruiters. We used a path‐analysis to investigate how biogeographic patterns in fungal fruiting phenology coincided with seasonal changes in climate and primary production. Across central to northern Europe, mean fruiting varied by approximately 25 days, primarily with latitude. Altitude affected fruiting by up to 30 days, with spring delays and autumnal accelerations. Fruiting was as much explained by the effects of bioclimatic variability as by their large‐scale spatial patterns. Temperature drove fruiting of autumnal ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic, as well as spring saprotrophic groups, while primary production and precipitation were major drivers for spring‐fruiting ectomycorrhizal fungi. Species‐specific phenology predictors were not stable, instead deviating from the overall mean. There is significant likelihood that further climatic change, especially in temperature, will impact fungal phenology patterns at large spatial scales. The ecological implications are diverse, potentially affecting food webs (asynchrony), nutrient cycling and the timing of nutrient availability in ecosystems.

本研究旨在评估欧洲全域范围内，受地理因子制约（纬度、经度与海拔）的生物气候变异性——涵盖温度、降水与初级生产力（primary productivity）——对真菌子实体物候（fruiting phenology）的影响。研究将两大真菌营养功能群——腐生真菌（saprotrophic）与外生菌根真菌（ectomycorrhizal）——进一步划分为春季结实类群与秋季结实类群。本研究采用路径分析（path analysis）方法，探究真菌子实体物候的生物地理分布格局与气候及初级生产力的季节变化之间的耦合关系。在欧洲中部至北部区域，平均结实期的差异可达约25天，且该差异主要由纬度主导。海拔对结实期的影响可达30天，具体表现为春季结实期延迟、秋季结实期提前。真菌结实期的变异既可由生物气候变异性的效应解释，也可由其大尺度空间分布格局解释，二者的解释能力相当。温度是秋季外生菌根真菌、腐生真菌以及春季腐生真菌类群结实过程的主导驱动因子；而初级生产力与降水则是春季结实型外生菌根真菌的主要调控因素。针对特定物种的物候预测因子并不稳定，反而偏离整体平均水平。未来气候变化（尤其是温度变化）极有可能在大空间尺度上改变真菌的物候格局。该研究结果具有多维度的生态学意义，或通过引发物候异步性影响食物网结构、养分循环以及生态系统中养分可利用的时间窗口。