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

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Climate Change Biology
• Soil Science

Background:

• Ecological responses to climate extremes are context-dependent.
• Understanding soil biota responses to heat is crucial for predicting ecosystem stability.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate soil community responses (Collembola and fungi) to simulated extreme heat events.
• Examine the influence of elevation and season on resistance and recovery.
• Assess the impact of heat on ecological network structure.

Main Methods:

• Laboratory experiment simulating 1-week heat events on 360 soil cores.
• Collected from high- and low-elevation sites across different seasons (spring, summer, autumn).
• Measured resistance and recovery of Collembola and fungal communities; analyzed ecological networks.

Main Results:

• Low-elevation Collembola showed reduced resistance to heat in spring and summer, with recovery mainly in spring soils.
• Fungal communities were generally stable, but pathogen relative abundance increased after summer heat events.
• Network analysis indicated increased negative associations between Collembola and fungi post-heat stress.

Conclusions:

• Extreme heat events can destabilize and restructure soil ecological communities.
• Elevation and seasonality are critical factors influencing the spatiotemporal context of heat impacts.
• Findings highlight the vulnerability of specific soil biota to climate extremes.