Summary
This narrative review synthesises evidence on how global change factors—notably nitrogen deposition and warming—alter soil fungal communities across ecosystems. Plant-mutualistic fungal guilds appear particularly vulnerable, whilst plant pathogenic fungi show increased abundance and dispersal. The authors identify the potential shift from mutualistic to pathogenic fungal dominance as a major threat to ecosystem functioning, though they note that predictive capacity remains limited and requires further long-term experimental work.
Regional applicability
The review is global in scope and does not report UK-specific field studies. However, findings are likely applicable to UK soil ecosystems given their exposure to increased nitrogen deposition and projected warming; UK farming systems and natural ecosystems may face similar risks to fungal community shifts and increased pathogen pressure. Localised experimental validation would strengthen applicability to UK conditions.
Key measures
Fungal species richness and composition; abundance and dispersal of plant pathogenic fungi; responses of ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to global change factors; ecosystem resilience to pathogen outbreaks
Outcomes reported
The study reviewed evidence on how projected global change factors (increased CO₂, temperature, precipitation change, and nitrogen deposition) affect soil fungal species, communities, and functional guilds. It synthesised findings on shifts in fungal biodiversity, abundance of plant pathogens, and ecosystem vulnerability to pathogen outbreaks.
Topic tags
Dig deeper with Pulse AI.
Pulse AI has read the whole catalogue. Ask about this record, its theme, or how the findings apply to UK farming and policy — every answer cites the underlying studies.