Ectomycorrhiza: Back to the future

With forests covering roughly half of the Austrian land area, forest ecosystems have been monitored and characterized for centuries. While some aspects remain the same long-term, we are about to experience rapid changes due to climate change and loss of species. At the same time, emerging technologies like high throughput sequencing allow us to have deeper insights into the occurrence and diversity of species. For the hidden subsoil, metabarcoding of environmental DNA can uncover invisible soil life. This includes under-explored mycorrhizal fungi, especially species which do not regularly form fruiting bodies.

Supported by the Austrian biodiversity fund, the project „Zurück in die Zukunft“ (Back to the future) analyses archived forest soil samples from the past 32 years in order to capture diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The dataset comprises samples from all federal states reaching from meadow forests of Pannonian regions to montane forests of the inner alps. Initial analyses detected >7000 fungal species, including >800 species of ectomycorrhizal fungi. The results provide an addition to already existing fungi databases of fruiting-body records. Fungal community composition is highly dependent on site-specific factors, which is thought to be explored using records of bio-geochemical data, vegetation and climate. By comparing the fungal communities of the 1990s, early 2000s and 2024, long-term changes and trends can be identified. The status of endangered species and potential neobiota in different habitats will be evaluated. We also aim to get a glance of future developments regarding forest ecosystems and their ecosystem functions.