01638nas a2200169   4500008004100000245016200041210006900203300001300272490000700285520101200292100001701304700001701321700001701338700001701355700001901372856007701391       2009                        eng d00aSoil aggregation and carbon sequestration are tightly correlated with the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: results from long-term field experiments0 aSoil aggregation and carbon sequestration are tightly correlated  a452 -4610 v123 a<p>We examined the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in ecosystems using soil aggregate stability and C and N storage as representative ecosystem processes. We utilized a wide gradient in AMF abundance, obtained through long-term (17 and 6 years) large-scale field manipulations. Burning and N-fertilization increased soil AMF hyphae, glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) pools and water-stable macroaggregates while fungicide applications reduced AMF hyphae, GRSP and water-stable macroaggregates. We found that AMF abundance was a surprisingly dominant factor explaining the vast majority of variability in soil aggregation. This experimental field study, involving long-term diverse management practices of native multispecies prairie communities, invariably showed a close positive correlation between AMF hyphal abundance and soil aggregation, and C and N sequestration. This highly significant linear correlation suggests there are serious consequences to the loss of AMF from ecosystems.</p>1 aWilson, G.T.1 aRice, C., W.1 aRillig, M.C.1 aSpringer, A.1 aHartnett, D.C.  uhttps://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01303.x