Authors
Martin Schädler, Roland Brandl, Anne Kempel
Publication date
2010/3/31
Journal
Soil Biology and Biochemistry
Volume
42
Issue
3
Pages
521-523
Publisher
Pergamon
Description
The symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi is known to affect growth and tissue quality of plants. Therefore, mycorrhization may also have “afterlife” effects on decomposition dynamics. We tested this hypothesis with plant material of mycorrhized and non-mycorrhized plants of seven grassland species. We found that mycorrhization increased the decomposition rate and interpret this result as a consequence of the enhanced nutritive status of the plant tissue with positive effects on decomposer activity. The turn-over of organic matter and nutrients in ecosystems may therefore be indirectly influenced by the symbiosis with mycorrhizal fungi.
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Scholar articles
M Schädler, R Brandl, A Kempel - Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2010