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Allocation of carbon to mycorrhiza in the grasses Koeleria glauca and Corynephorus canescens in sandy grasslands

Mårtensson, Linda-Maria LU ; Schnoor, Tim Krone LU and Olsson, Pål Axel LU (2012) In Applied Soil Ecology 54. p.55-62
Abstract
By investigating both semi-natural and experimentally implemented pH variation in nutrient-poor sandy grasslands, we examined how soil decalcification may influence the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal biomass in plant roots and in the soil, as well as the allocation of carbon (C) to AM fungal biomass. We estimated the amount of AM fungal mycelium, by using the fatty acid 16:1 omega 5, in the roots and in the soil surrounding the roots of two grass species in a pH gradient, and in one grass in an experimental area. We investigated the allocation of C to the AM fungi by using in situ C-13 labelling. Contrary to our expectations, we found a decrease in AM fungal mycelium in the soil with increasing soil pH, and no significant relationship... (More)
By investigating both semi-natural and experimentally implemented pH variation in nutrient-poor sandy grasslands, we examined how soil decalcification may influence the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal biomass in plant roots and in the soil, as well as the allocation of carbon (C) to AM fungal biomass. We estimated the amount of AM fungal mycelium, by using the fatty acid 16:1 omega 5, in the roots and in the soil surrounding the roots of two grass species in a pH gradient, and in one grass in an experimental area. We investigated the allocation of C to the AM fungi by using in situ C-13 labelling. Contrary to our expectations, we found a decrease in AM fungal mycelium in the soil with increasing soil pH, and no significant relationship between soil pH and the amount of AM fungi in the roots. We also found that the allocation of C below ground was very small in the grasses investigated: the excess of C-13 in the roots after five days was only between 0.06 and 1.2% of the excess of C-13 in the shoots directly after labelling. The allocation of C to the extraradical AM mycelium also decreased with increasing pH, ranging from not detectable to 1.2 mu g C-13 g(-1) dry soil in the range of soil pH from 5.5 to 8.5. Experimental manipulation of decalcification through soil perturbation further supported the finding that AM fungal density is higher in decalcified areas, although it was not statistically significant in this case. We conclude that the amount of AM fungi is very low in this type of nutrient and drought stressed habitat, and that a high pH in the topsoil does not leads to higher AM fungal biomass. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
pH, arbuscular mycorrhiza, grasslands, calcareous, in situ pulse labelling, natural gradient, fatty acids
in
Applied Soil Ecology
volume
54
pages
55 - 62
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000302110900008
  • scopus:84856475234
ISSN
0929-1393
DOI
10.1016/j.apsoil.2011.12.006
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5bafc0eb-f439-42d1-9d6a-8c9c3ff914c1 (old id 2494855)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:08:03
date last changed
2022-01-26 05:44:36
@article{5bafc0eb-f439-42d1-9d6a-8c9c3ff914c1,
  abstract     = {{By investigating both semi-natural and experimentally implemented pH variation in nutrient-poor sandy grasslands, we examined how soil decalcification may influence the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal biomass in plant roots and in the soil, as well as the allocation of carbon (C) to AM fungal biomass. We estimated the amount of AM fungal mycelium, by using the fatty acid 16:1 omega 5, in the roots and in the soil surrounding the roots of two grass species in a pH gradient, and in one grass in an experimental area. We investigated the allocation of C to the AM fungi by using in situ C-13 labelling. Contrary to our expectations, we found a decrease in AM fungal mycelium in the soil with increasing soil pH, and no significant relationship between soil pH and the amount of AM fungi in the roots. We also found that the allocation of C below ground was very small in the grasses investigated: the excess of C-13 in the roots after five days was only between 0.06 and 1.2% of the excess of C-13 in the shoots directly after labelling. The allocation of C to the extraradical AM mycelium also decreased with increasing pH, ranging from not detectable to 1.2 mu g C-13 g(-1) dry soil in the range of soil pH from 5.5 to 8.5. Experimental manipulation of decalcification through soil perturbation further supported the finding that AM fungal density is higher in decalcified areas, although it was not statistically significant in this case. We conclude that the amount of AM fungi is very low in this type of nutrient and drought stressed habitat, and that a high pH in the topsoil does not leads to higher AM fungal biomass. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Mårtensson, Linda-Maria and Schnoor, Tim Krone and Olsson, Pål Axel}},
  issn         = {{0929-1393}},
  keywords     = {{pH; arbuscular mycorrhiza; grasslands; calcareous; in situ pulse labelling; natural gradient; fatty acids}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{55--62}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Applied Soil Ecology}},
  title        = {{Allocation of carbon to mycorrhiza in the grasses Koeleria glauca and Corynephorus canescens in sandy grasslands}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2011.12.006}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.apsoil.2011.12.006}},
  volume       = {{54}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}