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IMAGE: A map of sampling locations across the eastern United States used in the studies. The green dot indicates Moores Creek where AM and ECM dominated plots are located while the. view more
Credit: Graphic by Mushinski, et al.
Trees are often heralded as the heroes of environmental mitigation. They remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which slows the pace of climate change, and sequester nutrients such as nitrogen, which improves water and air quality.
Not all tree species, however, perform these services similarly, and some of the strongest impacts that trees have on ecosystems occur below the surface, away from the eyes of observers. This complicates efforts to predict what will happen as tree species shift owing to pests, pathogens, and climate change as well as to predict which species are most beneficial in reforestation efforts.