Trees in temperate forests play a significant role in global nutrient cycling through the deposition of nitrogen (N) from fallen leaves, which are broken down, mineralized, and nitrified by soil microbes and taken back up through tree roots, often with the help of mycorrhizal symbionts. Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are the two most prolific types of mycorrhizal fungi in temperate forests, with most tree species associating with one or the other. Differing nutrient acquisition strategies between EcM and AM fungi, as well as differing leaf litter quality of trees associating with EcM or AM, are thought to affect patterns where EcM dominated forest stands accumulate more organic N, while AM stands accumulate more inorganic N. However, it is not known whether the quality of the leaf litter or the type of mycorrhizal symbiont is what is causing these differing nutrient economies. In this study I am asking, how do leaf litter and mycorrhizal type influence N mineralization and nitrification in temperate forest systems? Groups of plots were set up in AM and EcM dominated stands and leaf litter layers in those plots were taken up and replaced to create match and mismatch leaf litter treatments, a disturbance control, and a control plot where leaf litter was left as is. Ammonium and nitrate levels in the soil were measured at two timepoints, the second being after a 30 day incubation period, to calculate rates of mineralization and nitrification in different treatments. Variance among treatments was assessed. I hypothesized that mycorrhizal type and leaf litter type would have an interactive effect where rates of N cycling would be altered by both treatments. Results from this study could help provide nuance to forest elemental cycling frameworks, especially when trying to predict how species shifts with climate change will affect elemental cycling and overall forest response to global change.