Allocation of carbon to mycorrhiza in the grasses Koeleria glauca and Corynephorus canescens in sandy grasslands

► In semi-natural and experimentally implemented pH variation in nutrient-poor sandy grasslands, the specific biomarker NLFA 16:1w5 decreased with increasing soil pH. ► In situ 13CO2 pulse labelling of aboveground biomass followed the same pattern. ► Mycorrhizal fungi and their potential for storage of carbon are reduced in erosion slopes and in intensive disturbance regimes.