Mycorrhiza and Litter Decomposition

Gadgil, Ruth L.; Gadgil, P. D.

doi:10.1038/233133a0

Cited by 376 publications

(253 citation statements)

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“…This study addressed short-term effects of disrupted translocation. In a longer term perspective, tree girdling has been shown to increase the relative abundance of nonectomycorrhizal fungi (Yarwood et al, 2009), and increased decomposition rates have been observed in trenched plots (Gadgil and Gadgil, 1971). However, long-term effects on the absolute abundance and activities of saprotrophs remain uncertain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

2010

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Ectomycorrhizal fungi dominate the humus layers of boreal forests. They depend on carbohydrates that are translocated through roots, via fungal mycelium to microsites in the soil, wherein they forage for nutrients. Mycorrhizal fungi are therefore sensitive to disruptive disturbances that may restrict their carbon supply. By disrupting root connections, we induced a sudden decline in mycorrhizal mycelial abundance and studied the consequent effects on growth and activity of free living, saprotrophic fungi and bacteria in pine forest humus, using molecular community analyses in combination with enzyme activity measurements. Ectomycorrhizal fungi had decreased in abundance 14 days after root severing, but the abundance of certain free-living ascomycetes was three times higher within 5 days of the disturbance compared with undisturbed controls. Root disruption also increased laccase production by an order of magnitude and cellulase production by a factor of 5. In contrast, bacterial populations seemed little affected. The results indicate that access to an external carbon source enables mycorrhizal fungi to monopolise the humus, but disturbances may induce rapid growth of opportunistic saprotrophic fungi that presumably use the dying mycorrhizal mycelium. Studies of such functional shifts in fungal communities, induced by disturbance, may shed light on mechanisms behind nutrient retention and release in boreal forests. The results also highlight the fundamental problems associated with methods that study microbial processes in soil samples that have been isolated from living roots.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

2010

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“…This behaviour would give mycorrhizal fungi and their hosts access to nutrients in situations where saprotrophic microorganisms are not limited by access to C and would be very conservative of their acquired nutrients. Considering the substantial nutrient loss from the wood decomposer to the mycorrhizal fungi described in this paper, the mycorrhizal community could have a potentially large influence on the saprotrophic fungal community and the rate of decomposition, as originally proposed by Gadgil & Gadgil (1971) and further discussed by Abuzinadah et al (1986).…”

Section: mentioning

confidence: 99%

Translocation of ³²P between interacting mycelia of a wood‐decomposing fungus and ectomycorrhizal fungi in microcosm systems

Lindahl¹,

Stenlid²,

Olsson³

et al. 1999

New Phytologist

136

110

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Interactions between saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi have been largely ignored, although their mycelia often share the same microsites. The mycelial systems show general similarity to each other and, although the enzymatic potential of the saprotrophic fungi is generally considered to be higher, the importance of organic nutrient sources to ectomycorrhizal fungi is now widely accepted. In the experiments described here, nutritional interactions involving transfer of elements from one mycelium to the other have been monitored dynamically using radioactive tracers and a non-destructive electronic autoradiography system. Microcosms were used in which mycelial systems of the ectomycorrhizal fungi Suillus variegatus and Paxillus involutus, extending from Pinus sylvestris host plants, were confronted with mycelia of the saprotroph Hypholoma fasciculare extending from wood blocks. The fungi showed a clear morphological confrontation response. The mycorrhizal mycelium often formed dense patches over the Hypholoma mycelia. Up to 25 % of the $#P present in the Hypholoma mycelium was captured by the mycorrhizal fungi and translocated to the plant host within 30 d. The transfer of $#P to the saprotroph from labelled mycorrhizal mycelium was one to two orders of magnitude lower. The significance of this transfer as a ' short cut ' in nutrient cycling is discussed.

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“…Understanding the mechanisms controlling the accumulation and stability of soil carbon is critical to predicting the Earth's future climate 2,3 . Recent studies suggest that decomposition of soil organic matter is often limited by nitrogen availability to microbes [4][5][6] and that plants, via their fungal symbionts, compete directly with free-living decomposers for nitrogen 6,7 . Ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal (EEM) fungi produce nitrogen-degrading enzymes, allowing them greater access to organic nitrogen sources than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi [8][9][10] .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mycorrhiza-mediated competition between plants and decomposers drives soil carbon storage

Averill

Turner

Finzi

2014

Nature

844

625

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Mycorrhiza and Litter Decomposition

Cited by 376 publications

References 1 publication

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

Translocation of ³²P between interacting mycelia of a wood‐decomposing fungus and ectomycorrhizal fungi in microcosm systems

Mycorrhiza-mediated competition between plants and decomposers drives soil carbon storage

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Mycorrhiza and Litter Decomposition

Cited by 376 publications

References 1 publication

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

Disruption of root carbon transport into forest humus stimulates fungal opportunists at the expense of mycorrhizal fungi

Translocation of 32P between interacting mycelia of a wood‐decomposing fungus and ectomycorrhizal fungi in microcosm systems

Mycorrhiza-mediated competition between plants and decomposers drives soil carbon storage

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Translocation of ³²P between interacting mycelia of a wood‐decomposing fungus and ectomycorrhizal fungi in microcosm systems