Mycorrhizal types modulate the trade-off between leafnitrogen resorption and mineralization

Leaf nitrogen resorption before leaf fall and mineralization after litter fall are strongly influenced by the environment, but their linkage to biotic factors remains largely unknown. Aims : This study aims to investigate the regulatory differences of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi on leaf nitrogen resorption efficiency (NRE) and nitrogen mineralization ( N _min ) by utilizing a global plant-mycorrhiza and foliar traits database. Methods : This study utilized the global plant mycorrhiza database “FungalRoot” and field data on plant mycorrhizal infection characteristics in terrestrial ecosystem to establish a database of arbuscular mycorrhizal infection information for terrestrial wild plants, and conducted research based on this database. Results : The results show AM plants exhibit significantly lower NRE (39.65%) compared to ECM plants (50.37%, P < 0.0001), while demonstrating significantly higher N _min (0.35) than ECM plants (0.03, P < 0.0001). When considering deciduous plants, AM plants display significantly lower leaf NRE (42.86%) compared to ECM plants (54.00%, P < 0.01), yet show significantly higher leaf N _min (0.27) than ECM plants (-0.01, P < 0.01). Turning to evergreen plants, AM plants exhibit significantly higher leaf N _min (0.42) compared to ECM plants (0.09, P < 0.01). Conclusions : These results indicate that mycorrhizal types significantly modulate leaf NRE and N _min . In the future, introducing mycorrhizal factors into global-scale models of the dynamic interaction between nitrogen resorption and mineralization will enhance the simulation of nutrient limitations on ecosystem productivity.