High resilience of the mycorrhizal community to prescribed seasonal burnings in eastern Mediterranean woodlands

Fire effects on ecosystems range from destruction of aboveground vegetation to direct and indirect belowground microorganisms. Although variation in such is expected be related fire severity, another potentially important poorly understood factor the effect seasonality soil We carried out a large-scale field experiment examining spring (early-dry season) versus autumn (late-dry- burns community composition fungi typical Mediterranean woodland. intensity severity our prescribed were largely consistent between two burning seasons, we detected differential season fungal community, driven by changes saprotrophic guild. The ectomycorrhizal fungi, assayed both pine seedling bioassays sequencing, appeared resilient inflicted seasonal fires. Since can directly influence carbon emission decomposition rates, suggest that regardless their fires may cause ecosystem functioning.