Subterranean Desert Rodents (Genus Ctenomys) Create Soil Patches Enriched in Root Endophytic Fungal Propagules

Abstract

Subterranean rodents are considered major soil engineers, as they can locally modify soil properties by their burrowing activities. In this study, the effect of a subterranean rodent of the genus Ctenomys on soil properties and root endophytic fungal propagules in a shrub desert of northwest Argentina was examined. Our main goal was to include among root endophytic fungi not only arbuscular mycorrhiza but also the dark septate endophytes. We compared the abundance of fungal propagules as well as several microbiological and physicochemical parameters between soils from burrows and those from the surrounding landscape. Our results show that food haulage, the deposition of excretions, and soil mixing by rodents' burrowing promote soil patchiness by (1) the enrichment in both types of root endophytic fungal propagules; (2) the increase in organic matter and nutrients; and (3) changes in soil edaphic properties including moisture, field capacity, and texture. These patches may play a critical role as a source of soil heterogeneity in desert ecosystems, where burrows constructed in interpatches of bare soil can act, once abandoned, as "islands of fertility," promoting the establishment of plants in an otherwise hostile environment.

Ecosystem roles and conservation status of bioturbator mammals

“…We summarised the roles of bioturbator mammals in maintaining ecosystem processes and health, which goes beyond soil disturbance and includes changes in biotic and abiotic habitat characteristics, directly or indirectly affecting the availability of resources to other organisms (Desbiez & Kluyber 2013). Bioturbators also affect soil compaction (Palmer et al 2021), soil moisture (Garkaklis et al 1998), microbe diversity (Miranda et al 2019), nutrient cycling (Hagenah & Bennett 2013), plant germination and recruitment (Villarreal et al 2008, Radnan & Eldridge 2017), and fire regimes (Ryan et al 2020). Nevertheless, it is important to identify which species and processes are associated with bioturbator mammals to determine under what conditions these interactions can be positive, neutral, or negative.…”

“…This also helps pioneer plants during early successional stages. Through the action of moving buried soil that contains viable arbuscular mycorrhizae spores and mycorrhizal root fragments, tuco‐tucos provide improved conditions for plant development and growth (Miranda et al 2019).…”

“…1). By disturbing the soil, these animals break the soil surface layer, increasing water infiltration, soil moisture, and the capture of organic matter (Miranda et al 2019, Halstead et al 2020). These animals can also contribute to improved soil health by increasing nutrient cycling through soil turnover, where the litter and debris are carried below the surface while deeper soils are unearthed, altering soil structure and composition (Reichman & Seabloom 2002, Valentine 2014, Platt et al 2016).…”

Bacteria, Fungi and Archaea Domains in Rhizospheric Soil and Their Effects in Enhancing Agricultural Productivity

“…At the time of and after the release of exudates, microbes act on the organic matters and hence enriching and separating it from the roots in the usual environments is challenging. Data have been obtained from hydroponic cultures that are sterile and these revealed the nature and quantitative levels of exudates from roots, but then extrapolating the results to the natural situations is difficult [30]. Furthermore, from this perspective, quantification of exudation from the root was done by measuring the labeled CO 2 produced in the rhizosphere soil of the plant labeled 14C.…”

Parámetros hematológicos del roedor subterráneo Spalacopus cyanus (Rodentia: Octodontidae)

“…Dependiendo del grado de utilización de dichas galerías, se distinguen mamíferos subterráneos, que realizan parte de sus actividades vitales bajo tierra y mamíferos fosoriales y semifosoriales, que utilizan sus galerías como refugio, realizando las actividades de forrajeo en la superficie (Begall et al, 2007). En zonas áridas este tipo de actividad conductual cumple un importante rol ecológico, debido a que a través de la construcción de galerías se modifican las propiedades microbiológicas y fisicoquímicas del suelo, generando de esta forma "islas de fertilidad" que propician el establecimiento de vegetación (Miranda et al, 2018).…”