Unique soil fungal communities are associated with disappearing ash trees in a northern temperate hardwood forest

Native ash trees are destined for functional extinction in North America due to the spread of the non-native emerald ash borer. Yet, the consequences of ash loss for soil fungi are unclear. To address this, we employed a factorial study of forest soil fungi in two hydropedological soil types beneath four canopy tree species -- including white ash ( Fraxinus americana ). Sporocarp surveys and community DNA metabarcoding from soil samples revealed patterns in fungal communities related to canopy tree species but not soil type. Ash trees supported a particularly rich soil fungal community that was distinguishable from communities beneath beech, birch, and maple. We identified over 100 fungal taxa (OTUs) that are at risk of decline or loss from the studied forest, due to their association with ash. Our results indicate that canopy tree species influence soil fungi much more broadly than just the species with which they have mycorrhizal associations.