Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal response to fire and urbanization in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Plant species identity is the dominant factor shaping arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities, even under disturbances like fire and urbanization. A 2016 wildfire in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, exacerbated by drought and long-term fire suppression, provided a rare opportunity to study the combined effects of fire and urbanization on belowground ecosystems. Researchers found that while burn severity and exurban proximity influenced some AM fungal metrics—such as reduced colonization in burned areas and greater compositional variability in urban-adjacent sites—plant species identity had the strongest effect on AM fungi. No interactive effects between fire and urbanization were detected, suggesting that AM fungal taxa may persist if plant community structure remains stable or undisturbed habitats serve as inoculum sources post-fire. The study underscores the importance of preserving natural, undisturbed areas within wildland-urban interfaces to maintain belowground ecosystem resilience.

Kivlin, S. N., Harpe, V. R., Turner, J. H., Moore, J. A. M., Moorhead, L. C., Beals, K. K., Hubert, M. M., Papeş, M., & Schweitzer, J. A. (2021). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal response to fire and urbanization in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00037