Thanks Toby!

This functional diversity and the ability to proved complementary services among ectomycorrhizal partners could be crucial for forest resilience as nitrogen availability continues to change. 🍄🌲

Even closely related fungal species that associate with the same host species showed variable nitrogen acquisition strategies indicating resource partitioning that may reduce competition

Contrary to expectations of terrestrial oligotrophication, host nitrogen remained stable and fungal nitrogen concentration increased ~21% from 1961-2019, suggesting conifer forests are responding differently to changing nitrogen than broadleaf systems

We found highly conserved genes for inorganic nitrogen uptake but striking variation in genes for organic nitrogen metabolism across these closely related fungi

We used a combination of comparative genomics + growth assays + 60 years of herbarium specimens to study nitrogen use in 6 species of conifer associated Suillus fungi