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Welcome to the Open Repository of research and development results of the Mendel University in Brno. The repository serves to archive Open Access publications of university authors. Publications are automatically sent from the OBD system to the repository in the DSpace system.

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Access status: Open Access ,
Tree species diversity drives above-ground carbon sequestration through light-related trait shifts
(John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2026) Jensen, Joel; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence; Rewald, Boris; Weih, Martin
Functional traits can vary in response to tree species mixing, which in turn might influence biomass production and, consequently, carbon (C) sequestration in diverse forests. However, evidence for consistent broad-scale patterns in tree trait responses, particularly regarding trait identity and their contribution to above-ground biomass outcomes, remains limited. Using data from even-aged forest stands in 11 tree diversity experiments in Europe and Brazil, encompassing 40 tree species, we estimated the influence of species mixing on above-ground biomass components (woody, litterfall and understory biomass), as well as effects of mixing on plasticity-driven changes in species- and community-level functional traits. At the community level, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf area index (LAI) were higher in mixtures than expected values based on monocultures, while leaf nitrogen per area decreased, and leaf nitrogen per mass remained stable. SLA increases were primarily due to the response of less dominant tree species. Woody and litterfall biomass increased in mixtures, whereas understory biomass remained unchanged. At the species level, diversity-driven plastic changes were observed in multiple traits, but only SLA showed a consistent shift across species. Tree diversity effects on above-ground biomass were influenced by both functional diversity and diversity-driven trait shifts, where increased SLA and LAI enhanced woody biomass accumulation, while higher LAI in diverse stands reduced understory biomass. Together, these results show that tree species mixing alters canopy structure and light-related traits, with shifts in SLA and LAI constituting key pathways through which mixed forests accumulate more woody biomass.
Access status: Open Access ,
Growth of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi on Inorganic and Organic Nitrogen Sources
(MDPI AG (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute-MDPI), 2026) Otgonsuren, Burenjargal; Lan, Hangyu; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence
In forest soils, nitrogen (N) is present in inorganic and organic forms. The organic forms include monomeric amino acids, but also polymers such as chitin. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are known to take up both inorganic and organic N forms, and to depolymerize large organic compounds; however, it is unknown if the compounds are used for growth. The aim of this investigation was to determine the growth of a range of ectomycorrhizal fungi on inorganic and organic N sources. Seven ectomycorrhizal fungi and one endophyte originating from mountain regions either in Austria, Mongolia, or Slovenia were grown in in-vitro cultures containing ammonium, nitrate, or chitin. Four ectomycorrhizal fungi were used to investigate growth on amino acids. All fungi, except Paxillus involutus, utilized nitrate as a N source. All fungi also grew on both chitin and N-acetylglucosamine, the amino sugar precursor of chitin. Paxillus involutus and Melanogaster broomeanus showed enhanced growth on chitin-containing media. Amanita muscaria, Rhizopogon roseolus, and Suillus granulatus, but not Paxillus involutus, were able to utilize the amino acids glycine and glutamate, as well as the tripeptide triglycine. The ability to utilize the different N sources was independent of the origin of the fungi.
Access status: Open Access ,
Forest temperature buffering in pure and mixed stands: A high-resolution temporal analysis with generalized additive models
(Elsevier Science BV, 2025) Steinparzer, Matthias; Gillerot, Loïc; Rewald, Boris; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence; Haluza, Daniela; Guo, Qiwen; Vospernik, Sonja
Forests foster buffered microclimates, but causal mechanisms have rarely been studied on longer timescales and in differently diverse stands. Here, we explore temperature regulation by a young experimental forest in Austria, focusing on four common colline broadleaf species (Acer platanoides L., Tilia cordata Mill., Quercus robur L., Carpinus betulus L.) in monocultures, two- and four-species mixed stands. Air temperature was monitored in 28 forest plots for two years and compared to open-field controls. Using generalized additive models (GAMs), we investigated direct temperature offsets and lags between open-field and sub-canopy temperatures, considering diurnal and seasonal changes, and causal factors such as global mean radiation, relative air humidity, wind, and leaf area index (LAI). Forests generally had a cooling effect during the summer and a warming effect in winter, where the cooling magnitude varied with species composition and environmental conditions. Specifically, Acer platanoides and Carpinus betulus demonstrated the highest cooling capacities, and Quercus robur the lowest. Mixed species stands exhibited higher temperature buffering effects relative to monospecific stands, suggesting that species diversity in forests can increase the ability to regulate microclimates. Solar radiation, relative air hu midity, wind speed, and LAI all significantly influenced offsets. These findings are crucial for urban forestry and environmental planning, suggesting that careful selection of tree species can optimize temperature regulation, thereby improving human thermal comfort and ecosystem processes alike.
Access status: Open Access ,
Effects of tree species richness on topsoil carbon and fungal diversity in European planted mixed forests are modulated by environmental conditions
(Elsevier Science BV, 2025) Werner, Ramona; Jensen, Joel; Fransson, Petra; Baum, Christel; Sandén, Hans; Rewald, Boris; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence; Mayer, Mathias; Guillemot, Joannès; Robin, Agnès; Brancalion, Pedro H. S.; Koricheva, Julia; Ponette, Quentin; Muys, Bart; Verheyen, Kris; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael; Bauhus, Jürgen; Beyer, Friderike; Hajek, Peter; Jactel, Hervé; Weih, Martin
Mixed-species forests have emerged as a promising approach to mitigate climate change impacts through enhanced carbon (C) sequestration while maintaining productivity, biodiversity, and other ecosystem services. However, we still have a poor understanding of the context-dependency of soil C sequestration in tree mixtures, particularly how it is influenced by plant-soil-microbe interactions and environmental conditions. Using soil samples collected from nine European sites within the global network of tree diversity experiments, TreeDivNet, we examined how tree species richness is associated with topsoil C stocks, fungal community composition and diversity, and their interactions. We further investigated the influence of biotic, edaphic, and climatic factors on the relationship between tree richness and topsoil C stocks. We hypothesised that increased tree species richness leads to increased topsoil C stocks and fungal diversity, and that this effect is modulated by site-specific interactions between biotic and abiotic factors. Overall, we found topsoil C stocks in stands with high tree diversity to be greater than in monocultures across the study sites. Lower soil fertility, cooler mean annual temperatures, and lower interannual variability of temperature and precipitation were found to correlate with positive effects of tree diversity on soil C stocks. While tree diversity did not directly influence fungal diversity, topsoil C stocks were positively correlated to fungal species richness. In addition, fungal richness showed a positive correlation with the net diversity effect of tree mixtures on topsoil C, suggesting that fungal diversity may be one of several factors contributing to the context-dependency of tree diversity effects on soil C stocks. Our study shows that tree species diversity can increase topsoil C storage across Europe, influenced both directly and indirectly by fungal diversity and environmental conditions. The mediation of direct and indirect linkages between tree diversity, fungal diversity and topsoil C stocks by local abiotic context highlights the need to improve our mechanistic understanding for site-specific management of soil C sequestration in tree mixtures to promote climate change mitigation in European forests.
Access status: Open Access ,
Diversity, root tip vitality and soil-driven variations of Ectomycorrhizal communities in Pinus cembra forests from alpine treelines
(Springer International Publishing AG, 2026) Lan, Hangyu; Gorfer, Markus; Otgonsuren, Burenjargal; Godbold, Douglas Lawrence
Background and aims: Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra) is dominant tree species in the treeline ecotone of the European Alps. Ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi are often used in treeline reestablishment with Pinus cembra, yet our understanding of natural EM communities is limited. Methods: In three alpine regions of the Austrian Alps on both silicate and calcareous bedrocks we determined the EM communities on roots of Pinus cembra and related these to soil chemical properties. Results: The taxa composition of the EM communities was similar for the different sites, but the structure in terms of abundance varied greatly. The community of the calcareous sites differed from the silicate sites, and correlated to the level of exchangeable Ca. Similarly, on the silicate sites the levels of total Al and Fe influenced the community structure. Conclusion: The composition of EM fungal communities of Pinus cembra is strongly influenced by soil factors.