Spawning salmon transport marine-derived nutrients (MDN) into riparian forests, influencing soil, plant, and animal communities, yet their effects on fungal communities remain poorly understood. We used DNA metabarcoding to examine fungal responses to three spatial patterns of salmon-derived nitrogen (N) in southwest Alaska: (i) patchy inputs from wildlife-deposited carcasses, (ii) a 21-year carcass relocation experiment, and (iii) natural N gradients with distance from streams. Decomposing carcasses increased saprotrophic fungal diversity, identifying taxa responsible for salmon carcass decomposition. Long-term carcass relocation reduced diversity of medium-distance fringe ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), whereas recent, patchy carcass inputs increased diversity of both medium-distance fringe and long-distance EMF, guilds often associated with low-nutrient environments. Along natural stream N gradients, EMF responses varied markedly within functional guilds and genera, revealing unexpected variation in N sensitivity among closely related taxa. Pulsed, spatially heterogeneous nutrient inputs enhanced diversity of typically nitrophobic EMF, likely reflecting their capacity to maintain extensive mycelial networks, exploit nutrient hotspots, and mobilize organic N and phosphorus. The diversity of responses along natural N gradients suggests that mechanisms linking EMF traits to nutrient acquisition and tolerance remain unresolved. Our findings emphasize the importance of linking fungal community composition with functional attributes and nutrient dynamics.
Polyakov, A. Y., Larocque, A., Lilleskov, E., Mafune, K., Vogt, K., Vogt, D., Berdahl, A.
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