Agar-Block Microcosms for Controlled Plant Tissue Decomposition by Aerobic Fungi

Agar-block microcosms for controlled plant tissue decomposition by aerobic fungi.

The two principal methods for studying fungal biodegradation of lignocellulosic plant tissues were developed for wood preservative testing (soil-block; agar-block). It is well-accepted that soil-block microcosms yield higher decay rates, fewer moisture issues, lower variability among studies, and higher thresholds of preservative toxicity. Soil-block testing is thus the more utilized technique ...

Effect of different root endophytic fungi on plant community structure in experimental microcosms

Understanding the effects of root-associated microbes in explaining plant community patterns represents a challenge in community ecology. Although typically overlooked, several lines of evidence point out that nonmycorrhizal, root endophytic fungi in the Ascomycota may have the potential to drive changes in plant community ecology given their ubiquitous presence, wide host ranges, and plant spe...

Plant Polysaccharide Degradation by Fungi

Plant biomass is the major carbon source for many fungal species. Due to its complex polymeric nature, degradation of this biomass to digestible monomers requires a large range of enzyme activities. With the availability of an increasing number of fungal genomes, new insights into the diversity of fungi with respect to plant biomass degradation have been obtained. Recent progress in this area w...

The Decomposition of Cellulose by Soil Fungi*

Plant coexistence mediated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Recent research has indicated the importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in mediating plant coexistence. Coarse-scale studies compare the effects of the presence versus absence of AMF on plant coexistence, a phenomenon that is most relevant in early successional ecosystems where AMF are patchily distributed. By contrast, fine-scale studies investigate interactions that might occur onc...