Really interesting ideas! I have been loving all the fungi/mycorrhiza discussion lately. This one made me think about the interactive effects AM fungi might have on the ecosystem services of other organisms. Such as burrowing invertebrates are known to aerate the soil or promote nutrient cycling, so how would the presence of AM fungi affect this? Or vice versa? Anyways, thanks for your newsletters! I always like reading them.
Yes, definitely. AMF influence other soil biota in a multitude of ways from contributing to soil aggregation (and thus to the very fabric of soil) all the way to farming microbes on their hyphal surfaces (the hyphosphere microbiome).
Thank you for sharing these insightful thoughts. We recently set up a similar experiment in the field, and I'm also considering the mechanisms by which AM fungi mitigate the ecological effects of multipule global change factors. I have two additional thoughts. First, soil is a heterogeneous environment, and the impact of global change factors on soil processes should exhibit a broad range of heterogeneity. The hyphae of AM fungi may demonstrate a stronger adaptation capacity to cliamte change induced heterogeneity at a small scale compared to plant roots, helping plants adapt to global climate change. For example, they may grow more hyphae in N-rich patches (Hodge et al., 2001). Additionally, one possible function is that mycorrhizal fungi might promote the synergy between plants and beneficial soil microorganisms through hyphosphere processes (Duan et al., Cross-kingdom nutrient exchange in the plant - AM fungus - bacterium continuum, Nature Review Microbiology), thereby enhancing the overall resistance of the plant-soil system.
Really interesting ideas! I have been loving all the fungi/mycorrhiza discussion lately. This one made me think about the interactive effects AM fungi might have on the ecosystem services of other organisms. Such as burrowing invertebrates are known to aerate the soil or promote nutrient cycling, so how would the presence of AM fungi affect this? Or vice versa? Anyways, thanks for your newsletters! I always like reading them.
Yes, definitely. AMF influence other soil biota in a multitude of ways from contributing to soil aggregation (and thus to the very fabric of soil) all the way to farming microbes on their hyphal surfaces (the hyphosphere microbiome).
Thank you for sharing these insightful thoughts. We recently set up a similar experiment in the field, and I'm also considering the mechanisms by which AM fungi mitigate the ecological effects of multipule global change factors. I have two additional thoughts. First, soil is a heterogeneous environment, and the impact of global change factors on soil processes should exhibit a broad range of heterogeneity. The hyphae of AM fungi may demonstrate a stronger adaptation capacity to cliamte change induced heterogeneity at a small scale compared to plant roots, helping plants adapt to global climate change. For example, they may grow more hyphae in N-rich patches (Hodge et al., 2001). Additionally, one possible function is that mycorrhizal fungi might promote the synergy between plants and beneficial soil microorganisms through hyphosphere processes (Duan et al., Cross-kingdom nutrient exchange in the plant - AM fungus - bacterium continuum, Nature Review Microbiology), thereby enhancing the overall resistance of the plant-soil system.
Thanks a lot!! Very nice ideas.