Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) associations are integral, functioning parts of plant roots and are widely recognized as enhancing plant growth on severely disturbed sites, including those contaminated with heavy metals. They are reported to be present on the roots of plants growing on heavy metal contaminated soils and play an important role in metal tolerance and accumulation. Isolation of the in...

• Root hydraulic conductance (K r ) was measured for five understory shrub species of the neotropical moist forest to determine the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) for both carbon-rich and carbon-limited host plants. • K r was measured using a high pressure flow meter (HPFM) for potted plants grown in a factorial combination of AM fungi (presence/absence) and light (3.5 and 30% of full s...

The majority of terrestrial plants associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which typically facilitate the uptake of limiting mineral nutrients by plants in exchange for plant carbon. However, hundreds of non-photosynthetic plant species-mycoheterotrophs-depend entirely on AM fungi for carbon as well as mineral nutrition. Mycoheterotrophs can provide insight into the operation and regu...

Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AMs) are widespread symbiotic associations that are commonly described as the result of co-evolution events between fungi and plants where both partners benefit from the reciprocal nutrient exchange. Here, we review data from fossil records, characterizations of AM fungi in basal plants and live cell imaging of angiosperm colonization processes from an evolutionary-devel...

Forested ecosystems diversified more than 350 Ma to become major engines of continental silicate weathering, regulating the Earth's atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration by driving calcium export into ocean carbonates. Our field experiments with mature trees demonstrate intensification of this weathering engine as tree lineages diversified in concert with their symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi. P...

Appropriate management of soil phosphorus (P) fertility in highly calcareous soils of Iran as around the world should rely upon sound knowledge about the phosphorus reserve and its bioavailability. Despite numerous reports on the positive effects of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) fungi on phosphorus uptake which is associated to Ectomycorrhiza as a branch of two major branches of group ...

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form symbiotic associations with most crop plant species in agricultural ecosystems, and are conspicuously influenced by various agricultural practices. To understand the impact of compost addition on AM fungi, we examined effect of four compost rates (0, 11.25, 22.5, and 45 Mg/ha) on the abundance and community composition of AM fungi in seedling, flowering, a...

Soil receptivity to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi tests the capacity of a soil to favour the mycorrhizal development after inoculation. Thus, receptivity is a key criterion to assess whether the introduction of non-indigenous AM fungi will successfully improve plant growth. Two experiments were set up to investigate the receptivity of a moderately acidic wheat-growing soil of the Argentinea...

Strigolactones are a new class of plant hormones emerging as important signals in the control of plant architecture. In addition, they are key elements in plant communication with several rhizosphere organisms. Strigolactones are exuded into the soil, where they act as host detection signals for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, but also as germination stimulants for root parasitic plant seeds...

Small-scale heterogeneity of abiotic and biotic factors is expected to play a crucial role in species coexistence. It is known that plants are able to concentrate their root biomass into areas with high nutrient content and also acquire nutrients via symbiotic microorganisms such as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. At the same time, little is known about the small-scale distribution of soil n...