Soil aggregation and carbon sequestration are tightly correlated with the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: results from long-term field experiments [1]
Title | Soil aggregation and carbon sequestration are tightly correlated with the abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: results from long-term field experiments |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2009 |
Authors | Wilson, GT [2], Rice, CW [3], Rillig, MC [4], Springer, A [5], Hartnett, DC [6] |
Journal | Ecology Letters |
Volume | 12 |
Pagination | 452 -461 |
Accession Number | KNZ001248 |
Abstract | 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. |
URL | https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01303.x [7] |
DOI | 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01303.x [8] |