Implications of plant N/P stoichiometry influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for stability of plant species and community in response to nutrient limitation

There is an urgent need for woodland expansion to help enhance and restore vital forest ecosystem services. However, the process of natural regeneration of woodlands is often slow, requiring active reforestation approaches. Factors limiting regeneration are complex, but there is increasing evidence that natural woodland expansion onto sites that have been treeless for a long period of time may be limited by the loss of microbial woodland‐soil properties. This study explored a potential role for mycorrhizal associations in facilitating obligate ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree establishment, with potential implications for active reforestation practices. We determined the spatial distribution patterns of ECM tree seedlings – Pinus sylvestris and Betula spp. – outwith a woodland, in relation to existing dual‐mycorrhizal Salix plants. There was very strong evidence that ECM tree seedlings were more likely to be found growing within groups around Salix than as isolated individuals, supporting the view that Salix drives the current spatial distribution patterns of ECM tree establishment. We suggest that the ability of Salix to form dual AM and ECM associations allows it to become established across the open AM dominated vegetation. Over time these plants become colonised by ECM fungi via aerial spores and then can act as a source of inoculum for obligate ECM tree seedlings, which arrive as seeds in the vicinity of Salix. This study highlights the potential role of dual‐mycorrhizal Salix as a nurse plant in supporting secondary forest succession of obligate ECM boreal/temperate woodland species onto adjacent open areas through nucleation. Overall, we concluded that there is potential for existing ECM networks to aid tree establishment and propose a nature‐based approach to maximize reforestation efforts by targeting existing symbiotic fungal networks as nucleation points for tree planting. Our findings contribute to understanding the ecological dynamics involved in woodland expansion and restoration.

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Partner quality matters - overyielding in a maize/soybean mixture depends on the initiator of common mycorrhizal networks

Liu,

Kuyper,

Zhang

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Aims Cereal/legume intercropping has advantages in yield and nutrient uptake. However, how common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs), formed by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a role in those benefits has not been fully clarified. This study aimed to explore how CMNs initiated by different host plants affected plant performance and nutrient acquisition in a maize/soybean mixture. Methods Microcosms with three compartments were used; these were separated by 30-µm nylon mesh. Two compartments were root compartments (RCs), and the third compartment was a hyphal compartment (HC). One RC was inoculated with the AMF Rhizophagus irregularis and the plant in this compartment was referred to as CMNs donor, and the plant in the other RC compartment as CMNs receiver. Results Maize biomass was twice that of soybean. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) content of both maize and soybean were higher in the presence of CMNs compared with the treatment without AMF. When maize was the CMNs donor, shoot biomass, N and P content of the mixture were higher than the expected biomass, N and P content based on monocultures, and effect not seen when soybean was the CMNs donor. Overyielding in biomass but not in N and P content, suggesting a disconnect between an AMF-induced increase in N, P acquisition and biomass increases. Conclusion CMNs asymmetrically increased biomass, N and P content of the larger-biomass species in this crop mixture compared with monocultures.

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Implications of plant N/P stoichiometry influenced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for stability of plant species and community in response to nutrient limitation

Cited by 3 publications

References 95 publications

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum and N2-fixing plants in ecological reclamation of arid mining areas: nutrient limitation of the moss biocrust microbiome

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal inoculum and N2-fixing plants in ecological reclamation of arid mining areas: nutrient limitation of the moss biocrust microbiome

Nucleation in temperate woodland regeneration: dual mycorrhizal Salix facilitate ectomycorrhizal tree establishment

Partner quality matters - overyielding in a maize/soybean mixture depends on the initiator of common mycorrhizal networks

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