Elevated graminoid cover co-occurs with Ascomycota-dominated soils in Longyearbyen, Svalbard.
| Title: | Elevated graminoid cover co-occurs with Ascomycota-dominated soils in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Bakker L; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Maier A; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Mainka M; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Ruethers J; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Frossard A; Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, Birmensdorf 8903, Switzerland.; Gisler J; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Meier E; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Barillà D; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Fior S; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Westergaard KB; Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim 7491, Norway.; Alexander J; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Doetterl S; Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Universitätstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland.; Magnabosco C; Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, ETH Zurich, Sonneggstrasse 5, Zurich 8092, Switzerland. |
| Source: | FEMS microbiology ecology [FEMS Microbiol Ecol] 2026 Feb 19; Vol. 102 (3). |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Oxford University Press Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 8901229 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1574-6941 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01686496 NLM ISO Abbreviation: FEMS Microbiol Ecol Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Publication: 2015- : Oxford Oxford University Press; Original Publication: [Amsterdam] : Elsevier Science Publishers on behalf of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies, [1985- |
| MeSH Terms: | Ascomycota*/isolation & purification ; Ascomycota*/classification ; Soil Microbiology*; Soil/chemistry ; Carbon Dioxide/metabolism ; Bacteria/classification ; Bacteria/isolation & purification ; Bacteria/genetics ; Svalbard ; Arctic Regions ; Tundra |
| Abstract: | Arctic warming has coincided with dramatic changes in plant cover, but the impact that aboveground biomass shifts have on soil microbial communities and processes remains poorly understood. To address this, we investigated spatial patterns of soil microbes in relation to vegetation changes using a space-for-time approach in the high Arctic region of Longyearbyen, Svalbard. We collected and characterized 31 topsoil samples from three sites that differed in nutrient input, CO2 flux, soil chemistry, and plant cover. Pronounced vegetation differences were observed at fine spatial scales, including a highly localized graminoid-dominated hotspot within areas of mixed plant communities. This graminoid-rich hotspot coincided with locally elevated soil fertility and exhibited particularly high CO2 fluxes. In areas that transitioned from dwarf shrub- to graminoid-dominated vegetation, we observed an increase in estimated fungal abundance, a shift from heterogeneous to Ascomycota-dominated fungal communities, and a greater abundance of r-strategist prokaryotes. Multiple regression on biotic and abiotic distance matrices revealed that soil fungi may be especially sensitive to changes compared to prokaryotes and plants. These findings highlight the need for future experiments investigating fungi in high Arctic tundra to better understand feedback between biotic and abiotic factors under warming.; (© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of FEMS.) |
| Grant Information: | ETH+ 03 20-2 ETH Zurich |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: Arctic greening; CO2 fluxes; biodiversity; biogeography; high Arctic tundra; soil microbiology |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 0 (Soil); 142M471B3J (Carbon Dioxide) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260218 Date Completed: 20260708 Latest Revision: 20260708 |
| Update Code: | 20260708 |
| PubMed Central ID: | PMC12949520 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/femsec/fiag019 |
| PMID: | 41707214 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
Journal Article