MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY AND BIODIVERSITY IN ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAS

K K Newsham; A H Fitter; A R Watkinson

MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY AND BIODIVERSITY IN ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAS

K K Newsham, A H Fitter, A R Watkinson

Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Literature review › peer-review

Abstract

Plant roots in natural ecosystems are typically colonized by a wide range of fungi. Some of these are pathogenic, others appear to be opportunistic and have no apparent impact, while mycorrhizal fungi are generally regarded as mutualistic. Of the various types of mycorrhizal fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is by far the most abundant and widespread. While the most widely accepted model of AM function depends upon plants benefiting from the facilitation of phosphorus uptake, recent data from field-based studies in temperate ecosystems indicate that only plant species with poorly branched root systems benefit from AM fungi in this way: species with highly branched root systems may benefit in other ways, such as by being protected against root pathogenic fungi. These two responses apparently represent extremes along a continuum of AM benefit determined by root system architecture.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	407-411
Number of pages	5
Journal	Trends in Ecology & Evolution
Volume	10
Issue number	10
Publication status	Published - Oct 1995

Keywords

ENDOTROPHIC MYCORRHIZA
PLANT-DISEASES
HEAVY-METALS
LAND PLANTS
FUNGI
INFECTION
PHOSPHORUS
ECOSYSTEMS
PHENOLOGY
SYMBIOSIS

Cite this

@article{a77006f24d6f446eaf01b1bea8887b1a,

title = "MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY AND BIODIVERSITY IN ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAS",

abstract = "Plant roots in natural ecosystems are typically colonized by a wide range of fungi. Some of these are pathogenic, others appear to be opportunistic and have no apparent impact, while mycorrhizal fungi are generally regarded as mutualistic. Of the various types of mycorrhizal fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is by far the most abundant and widespread. While the most widely accepted model of AM function depends upon plants benefiting from the facilitation of phosphorus uptake, recent data from field-based studies in temperate ecosystems indicate that only plant species with poorly branched root systems benefit from AM fungi in this way: species with highly branched root systems may benefit in other ways, such as by being protected against root pathogenic fungi. These two responses apparently represent extremes along a continuum of AM benefit determined by root system architecture.",

keywords = "ENDOTROPHIC MYCORRHIZA, PLANT-DISEASES, HEAVY-METALS, LAND PLANTS, FUNGI, INFECTION, PHOSPHORUS, ECOSYSTEMS, PHENOLOGY, SYMBIOSIS",

author = "Newsham, {K K} and Fitter, {A H} and Watkinson, {A R}",

year = "1995",

month = oct,

language = "English",

volume = "10",

pages = "407--411",

journal = "Trends in Ecology & Evolution",

issn = "0169-5347",

publisher = "Elsevier",

number = "10",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY AND BIODIVERSITY IN ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAS

AU - Newsham, K K

AU - Fitter, A H

AU - Watkinson, A R

PY - 1995/10

Y1 - 1995/10

N2 - Plant roots in natural ecosystems are typically colonized by a wide range of fungi. Some of these are pathogenic, others appear to be opportunistic and have no apparent impact, while mycorrhizal fungi are generally regarded as mutualistic. Of the various types of mycorrhizal fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is by far the most abundant and widespread. While the most widely accepted model of AM function depends upon plants benefiting from the facilitation of phosphorus uptake, recent data from field-based studies in temperate ecosystems indicate that only plant species with poorly branched root systems benefit from AM fungi in this way: species with highly branched root systems may benefit in other ways, such as by being protected against root pathogenic fungi. These two responses apparently represent extremes along a continuum of AM benefit determined by root system architecture.

AB - Plant roots in natural ecosystems are typically colonized by a wide range of fungi. Some of these are pathogenic, others appear to be opportunistic and have no apparent impact, while mycorrhizal fungi are generally regarded as mutualistic. Of the various types of mycorrhizal fungi, the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is by far the most abundant and widespread. While the most widely accepted model of AM function depends upon plants benefiting from the facilitation of phosphorus uptake, recent data from field-based studies in temperate ecosystems indicate that only plant species with poorly branched root systems benefit from AM fungi in this way: species with highly branched root systems may benefit in other ways, such as by being protected against root pathogenic fungi. These two responses apparently represent extremes along a continuum of AM benefit determined by root system architecture.

KW - ENDOTROPHIC MYCORRHIZA

KW - PLANT-DISEASES

KW - HEAVY-METALS

KW - LAND PLANTS

KW - FUNGI

KW - INFECTION

KW - PHOSPHORUS

KW - ECOSYSTEMS

KW - PHENOLOGY

KW - SYMBIOSIS

M3 - Literature review

SN - 0169-5347

VL - 10

SP - 407

EP - 411

JO - Trends in Ecology & Evolution

JF - Trends in Ecology & Evolution

IS - 10

ER -