Tracking carbon from the atmosphere to the rhizosphere
Olsson, Pål Axel; Johnson, Nancy (2005). Tracking carbon from the atmosphere to the rhizosphere. Ecology Letters, 8, (12), 1264 - 1270
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Published
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English
Authors:
Olsson, Pål Axel
;
Johnson, Nancy
Department:
Biodiversity
Department of Biology
Microbial Ecology
Plant Biology
Research Group:
Microbial Ecology
Plant Biology
Abstract:
Turnover rates of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi may influence storage of soil organic carbon (SOC). We examined the longevity of AM hyphae in monoxenic cultures; and we also used C-13 incorporation into signature fatty acids to study C dynamics in a mycorrhizal symbiosis involving Glomus intraradices and Plantago lanceolata. C-13 enrichment of signature fatty acids showed rapid transfer of plant assimilates to AM fungi and a gradual release of C from roots to rhizosphere bacteria, but at a much slower rate. Furthermore, most C assimilated by AM fungi remained 32 days after labelling. These findings indicate that C-13 labelled fatty acids can be used to track C flux from the atmosphere to the rhizosphere and that retention of C in AM fungal mycelium may contribute significantly to SOC.
Keywords:
Plantago lanceolata ;
intraradices ;
Glomus ;
carbon cycling ;
C-13 ;
arbuscular mycorrhiza ;
bacteria ;
signature fatty acids ;
stable isotope
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