Elevated CO2 and nitrogen influence exudation of soluble organic compounds by ectomycorrhizal root systems

Root and mycelial exudation contributes significantly to soil carbon (C) fluxes, and is likely to be altered by an elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentration and nitrogen (N) deposition. We quantified soluble, low-molecular-weight (LMW) organic compounds exuded by ectomycorrhizal plants grown under ambient (360 p.p.m.) or elevated (710 p.p.m.) CO₂ concentrations and with different N sources. Scots pine seedlings, colonized by one of five different ectomycorrhizal or nonmycorrhizal fungi, received 70 μM N, either as NH₄Cl or as alanine, in a liquid growth medium. Exudation of LMW organic acids (LMWOAs), dissolved monosaccharides and total dissolved organic carbon were determined. Both N and CO₂ had a significant impact on exudation, especially of LMWOAs. Exudation of LMWOAs was negatively affected by inorganic N and decreased by 30–85% compared with the organic N treatment, irrespective of the CO₂ treatment. Elevated CO₂ had a clear impact on the production of individual LMWOAs, although with very contrasting effects depending on which N source was supplied.