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Forests accumulate and store large amounts of carbon (C), and a sub , D) Y' B6 P7 Y: n# s; K, }stantial fraction of this stock is contained in deadwood. This transient pool is subject 9 V( u; ]1 @1 v) @6 L& A7 ]to decomposition by deadwood-associated organisms, and in this process it contrib ) q" U+ W3 F3 z" A* sutes to CO2 0 Y4 P4 X! N Y0 c9 Cemissions. Although fungi and bacteria are known to colonize dead / c' \7 t/ `$ `; M- y Ewood, little is known about the microbial processes that mediate carbon and nitro7 ^4 w7 S4 h3 d( M* X# y. F6 @ U
gen (N) cycling in deadwood. In this study, using a combination of metagenomics, ' G) w1 n* |7 T7 c6 p: U5 Z, Cmetatranscriptomics, and nutrient flflux measurements, we demonstrate that the decom+ z* Q. J3 F# } [; u
position of deadwood reflflects the complementary roles played by fungi and bacteria.3 J: b2 z1 N d: x; v: E
Fungi were found to dominate the decomposition of deadwood and particularly its re2 y% V: d1 `0 v N" `
calcitrant fractions, while several bacterial taxa participate in N accumulation in dead - W% }0 \% F4 G, ~2 J0 hwood through N fifixation, being dependent on fungal activity with respect to deadwood 4 i \* [7 f. E: w& T+ `" icolonization and C supply. Conversely, bacterial N fifixation helps to decrease the con ! N$ Y) [# Z% }7 s2 istraints of deadwood decomposition for fungi. Both the CO2 efflflux and N accumulation3 q" i1 p5 i1 u$ m3 a/ P: r
that are a result of a joint action of deadwood bacteria and fungi may be signifificant for6 D, b, ?$ {2 Z7 `
nutrient cycling at ecosystem levels. Especially in boreal forests with low N stocks, dead2 B4 i% K5 |3 c* ]6 ], E" j
wood retention may help to improve the nutritional status and fertility of soils. 7 T0 ~" \; u0 ]/ Q: a ; ~! z* }$ r' z C* O) y - U4 Q, v' {7 V4 |& F