Ectomycorrhizas and tipping points in forest ecosystems

The resilience of forests is compromised by human-induced environmental influences pushing them towards tipping points and resulting in major shifts ecosystem state that might be difficult to reverse, are predict manage, can have vast ecological, economic social consequences. literature on has grown rapidly, but almost exclusively based aquatic aboveground systems. So far little effort been made make links soil systems, where change not as drastically apparent, timescales may differ recovery slower. Predicting belowground transitions recovery, their impacts remains a scientific, practical policy challenge. Recently observed changes tree condition across European probably causally linked ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungal belowground. Based recent breakthroughs data collection analysis, we apply point theory forests, including component, focusing EM fungi; link thresholds for fungi with nutrient imbalances forest trees; explore the role phenotypic plasticity adaptation to, from, change; propose positive feedback mechanisms understand, address points.