Prolonged impact of fire on peatland fungi despite rapid recovery of vegetation, prokaryotes, and soil physicochemistry
Layla Maas, Erik Verbruggen, Marco Cosme, Tobias Ceulemans, Steven Jacobs, Yvonne Liczner, Keunbae Kim, Karen Vancampenhout, Rudy van Diggelen, Willem‐Jan Emsens
This study shows that while vegetation, soil chemistry, and prokaryotes recover quickly after a peatland wildfire, fungal communities show prolonged and distinct recovery patterns, indicating a decoupling between above- and belowground recovery.
bioRxiv · Feb 21, 2026 · PreprintEcology