Fungi, specifically those that are “mycorrhizal,” are natural allies of the forest because they improve tree nutrient acquisition.
Fungi, specifically those that are “mycorrhizal,” are natural allies of the forest because they improve tree nutrient acquisition. But which of the mycorrhizal feeding strategies yields the greatest tree diversity in a forest: strategy A (ectomycorrhiza) or strategy B (arbuscular mycorrhiza)?
Biologists from Université de Montréal and the Plant Biology Research Institute asked the question and found the answer is neither one nor the other, but rather a combination of the two – proving that there is strength in numbers – or rather, in diversity.
The Powerful Nourishing Capacity of Mycorrhiza
“A mycorrhiza, from the Greek myco-, ‘fungus,’ and rhiza, ‘root,’ is a type of symbiotic relationship between a plant and a fungus that has existed since the colonization of land by plants, several million years ago,” explained Alexis Carteron, lead author of the study.
“This positive association for both partners is unquestionably the most widespread and important form of ‘mutualistic symbiosis’ in terrestrial ecosystems.”
Read more at University of Montreal
Photo Credit: siala via Pixabay
