Increased evapotranspiration demand in a Mediterranean climate might cause a decline in fungal yields under global warming.
Wild fungi play a critical role in forest ecosystems, and its recollection is a relevant economic activity. Understanding fungal response to climate is necessary in order to predict future fungal production in Mediterranean forests under climate change scenarios. We used a 15-year data set to model the relationship between climate and epigeous fungal abundance and productivity, for mycorrhizal and saprotrophic guilds in a Mediterranean pine forest. The obtained models were used to predict fungal productivity for the 2021-2080 period by means of regional climate change models. Simple models based on early spring temperature and summer-autumn rainfall could provide accurate estimates for fungal abundance and productivity. Models including rainfall and climatic water balance showed similar results and explanatory power for the analyzed 15-year period. However, their predictions for the 2021-2080 period diverged. Rainfall-based models predicted a maintenance of fungal yield, whereas water balance-based models predicted a steady decrease of fungal productivity under a global warming scenario. Under Mediterranean conditions fungi responded to weather conditions in two distinct periods: early spring and late summer-autumn, suggesting a bimodal pattern of growth. Saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi showed differences in the climatic control. Increased atmospheric evaporative demand due to global warming might lead to a drop in fungal yields during the 21st century.
Genius Medioambiente, C/.Campaneros 26, 42200 Almazán, Soria, Spain.|Área de Botánica, Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, EU de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Duques de Soria, 42004, Soria, Spain.
Teresa
T
Ágreda
Área de Botánica, Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, EU de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Duques de Soria, 42004, Soria, Spain.
Beatriz
B
Águeda
Área de Botánica, Departamento de Ciencias Agroforestales, EU de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Duques de Soria, 42004, Soria, Spain.|Sustainable Forest Management Research Institute, Universidad de Valladolid and INIA, Avda. de Madrid 44, 34004, Palencia, Spain.
José M
JM
Olano
Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (IPE-CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059, Zaragoza, Spain.
Sergio M
SM
Vicente-Serrano
Departamento de Producción Vegetal y Recursos Forestales, EU de Ingenierías Agrarias, Universidad de Valladolid, Campus Duques de Soria, 42004, Soria, Spain.
Marina
M
Fernández-Toirán
D057231:Climate Change; D065928:Forests; D005658:Fungi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D057232:Global Warming; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D028223:Pinus / Q000254:growth & development; D012621:Seasons; D013030:Spain; D013696:Temperature; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
D014867:Water
bimodal pattern; climate change; global warming; long-term monitoring; mushrooms production; mycorrhizal fungi; phenology; saprotrophic fungi