Belowground Communities in Lowlands Are Less Stable to Heat Extremes Across Seasons.

ABSTRACT: Ecological responses to climate extremes vary drastically in different spatiotemporal contexts. Here, we investigate how soil communities at high- and low-elevation sites respond to extreme heat events in different seasons (spring, summer and autumn). We simulated 1-week heat events based on site-specific climatic history in laboratory experiments using 360 field-collected soil cores and measured the resistance and recovery of two major groups of soil biota: Collembola and fungi. We found that Collembola communities from low elevations exhibited the lowest resistance to extreme heat in spring and summer, with full recovery occurring primarily in spring soils. Fungal communities remained generally stable, though pathogens increased their relative abundances following summer heat events. Net

SUBMITTER: Martinez-De Leon G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12493265 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature