Aspen Bibliography

Initial Fungal Decomposer Community Determines Wood-Derived Carbon in Discrete Soil Carbon Pools in Aspen Clearcuts

Document Type

Thesis/Dissertation

Author ORCID Identifier

Theresa K. Meyer https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8827-9365

Publisher

Michigan Technological University

First Page

1

Last Page

34

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Soil carbon storage can be affected by forest management activities that alter the amount of biomass at a site, including slash retention and salvage harvesting. Initial fungal colonization of retained biomass may affect soil carbon storage due to differences in fungal decomposition strategies. To examine the effect of wood addition on wood-derived soil carbon storage and the interaction between initial fungal decomposer communities and wood application depth, δ13C modified wood inoculated with white- or brown-rot fungi was applied to soils across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Wood-derived carbon was assessed after 3.5 years in bulk soil samples and in three discrete soil carbon density fractions. Linear mixed-effects models were used to assess these interactions. Wood addition significantly increased wood-derived soil carbon storage, regardless of wood application depth. Inoculation by white-rot fungal species resulted in significantly greater carbon storage than brown-rot fungal inoculation in bulk soil. When wood was added to the soil surface, results suggest that wood-derived C is greatest in the most stable C density fraction. Additionally, when wood was added to the soil surface, weak evidence suggested that white-rot inoculation resulted in greater carbon storage than brown-rot inoculation across all density fractions. These results demonstrate that initial fungal decomposer community colonization can affect soil carbon storage.

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