Mycorrhizal Type Defines Priming Effects in Organic and Mineral Forest Soils

soil after 28 days of incubation). This is primarily because AM dominated soils have greater availability of mineral-associated organic matter and nitrate content, as well as higher microbial carbon use efficiency. Tree mycorrhizal associations thus regulate priming effects through depth-dependent changes in C stability, nitrogen availability, and microbial functional activity. We conclude that forecasting forest C dynamics in response to mycorrhizal compositional shifts must account for these soil depth-specific mechanisms.