Abstract
Festuca rubra is one of the dominant species in mountain high natural values grasslands. Most herbaceous plants are involved in a symbiotic partnership with arbuscular mycorrhizas for maintaining their abundance and cover. This research was conducted to explore the changes in mycorrhizal colonization patterns and structure development due to the long-term application of treatments. A large database of microscopic images was deeply analyzed with the MycoPatt tool, for the extraction of clear mycorrhizal maps that present particular colonization strategies. The overall colonization frequency and intensity varied largely between treatments, with a maximum in organic conditions. The presence of both arbuscules and vesicles in the same root area indicate a continuous alternance of fungal strategy, from storage to enhanced transfer of nutrients. A low-mineral organic treatment permits a clear separation of colonization strategy in different parts of roots. The nutrient availability due to mineral treatment induced a restriction in mycorrhizal development, which was maintained colonization by a resistance conditions strategy. The use of mycorrhizal maps permits a deep scanning of colonized roots, identifying the real positioning of fungal structures, along with their developmental potential and the assessment of the colonization strategy.
Highlights
Grassland ecosystems represent the largest biomass, covering over 45% of the Earth’s dry surface [1]
The maximum development potential of these structures, observed in our experiment indicates at least a 10% reduction between variants
Organic and low-mineral organic treatments increase the native mycorrhizal potential by 10% when compared to native status, in contrast to mineral and high-mineral treatments, which acts with a 5 and 10% reduction, respectively
Summary
Grassland ecosystems represent the largest biomass, covering over 45% of the Earth’s dry surface [1]. These ecosystems are dominated by species of the Poaceae family [2], most of which are perennial This has led to the formation of nutrient-poor soil over time due to the high quantities of nutrient removed, a phenomenon called oligotrophy. The most convenient process is to accept a microbial partner that, in exchange for a proportion of the photosynthetic assimilates, provides a higher amount of nutrients and water for the plant. During their life cycle, plants interact with various organisms, but one of the most important positive interactions is with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [4]. It is absolutely necessary to understand the magnitude of this process because mycorrhizal fungi, in addition to their higher intake of nutrients, a role explained in most articles, provide protection to the host from pathogens [6,7] and drought [8–10], limit the absorption of heavy metals [11,12], or intervene in the stability of floristic composition in these ecosystems [13]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
