Elevated CO2 and nitrogen influence exudation of soluble organic compounds by ectomycorrhizal root systems

Abstract

Root and mycelial exudation contributes significantly to soil carbon (C) fluxes, and is likely to be altered by an elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration and nitrogen (N) deposition. We quantified soluble, low-molecular-weight (LMW) organic compounds exuded by ectomycorrhizal plants grown under ambient (360 p.p.m.) or elevated (710 p.p.m.) CO2 concentrations and with different N sources. Scots pine seedlings, colonized by one of five different ectomycorrhizal or nonmycorrhizal fungi, received 70 μM N, either as NH4Cl or as alanine, in a liquid growth medium. Exudation of LMW organic acids (LMWOAs), dissolved monosaccharides and total dissolved organic carbon were determined. Both N and CO2 had a significant impact on exudation, especially of LMWOAs. Exudation of LMWOAs was negatively affected by inorganic N and decreased by 30-85% compared with the organic N treatment, irrespective of the CO2 treatment. Elevated CO2 had a clear impact on the production of individual LMWOAs, although with very contrasting effects depending on which N source was supplied. © 2009 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.