Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-24T14:45:04.878Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

4 - Water dynamics of mycorrhizas in arid soils

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 December 2009

By
Michael F. Allen
Edited by
Geoffrey Michael Gadd
Michael F. Allen
Affiliation:
Center for Conservation Biology Departments of Plant, Pathology and Biology University of California, Riverside, CA 92521–0334, USA
Geoffrey Michael Gadd
Affiliation:
University of Dundee
Get access

Summary

Introduction

The interaction of mycorrhizas and water in understanding plant water dynamics has been relevant since Frank (1885) first coined the term mykorhiza, a plant–fungus mutualism. He described an ectomycorrhiza as a ‘wet-nurse’ to the host in that water and nutrients must flow through the hyphae to the plant root tip. Stahl (1900) proposed that mycorrhizas increased water throughput, depositing greater amounts of nutrients in the roots resulting in the improved growth. We now know that carbon and nutrient exchange is an active process, regulated by both plant and fungal genes, and requiring substantial inputs of energy from the host and concentrating mechanisms in the fungus. However, water movement is a passive process. That is, it flows in response to energy gradients, without regard to active processes. Because it is a passive process, in mesic regions a large amount of water flows through a relatively saturated soil around the fungal hypha into the rather high area of root surface. This occurs at rates which would not be affected by the comparatively small surface area of the hypha–root interface. The focus of studies on mycorrhizas and water relations has been on whether mycorrhizas enhance plant water uptake with drought. This becomes rather critical in that past studies have often misinterpreted data of mycorrhizas and water flux, or designed studies measuring water fluxes in materials such as sand, or in limited potting volumes (relative to root length) that place unreasonable constraints on mycorrhizal response.

Type
Chapter
Information
Fungi in Biogeochemical Cycles , pp. 74 - 97
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Alexopolis, C. J.Mims, C. W. & Blackwell, M. (1996). Introductory Mycology, 4th edn. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Google Scholar
Allen, M. F. (1982). Influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas on water movement through Bouteloua gracilis. New Phytologist, 91, 191–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, M. F. (1983). Formation of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas in Atriplex gardneri (Chenopodiaceae): seasonal response in a cold desert. Mycologia, 75, 773–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, M. F. (1991). The Ecology of Mycorrhizas. New York: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Allen, M. F. (1996). The ecology of arbuscular mycorrhizas: a look back into the 20th century and a peek into the 21st. Mycological Research, 100, 769–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, M. F. (2001). Modelling arbuscular mycorrhizal infection: is % infection an appropriate variable?Mycorrhiza, 10, 255–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, E. B. & Allen, M. F. (1986). Water relations of xeric grasses in the field: Interactions of mycorrhizas and competition. New Phytologist, 104, 559–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, E. B. & Allen, M. F. (1990). Carbon source of VA mycorrhizal fungi associated with Chenopodiaceae from a semi-arid steppe. Ecology, 71, 2019–21.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, M. F., Egerton-Warburton, L. M., Allen, E. B. & Karen, O. (1999). Mycorrhizas in Adenostoma fasciclatum Hook. & Arn: a combination of unusual ecto- and endo-forms. Mycorrhiza, 8, 225–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Allen, M. F., Swenson, W.Querejeta, J. L., Egerton-Warburton, L. M. & Treseder, K. K. (2003). Ecology of mycorrhizas: a conceptual framework for complex interactions among plants and fungi. Annual Review of Phytopathology, 41, 271–303.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Auge', R. M. (2001). Water relations, drought and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. Mycorrhiza, 11, 3–42.Google Scholar
Bago, B., Azcon-Aguilar, C. & Piche, Y. (1998). Architecture and developmental dynamics of the external mycelium of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices grown under monoxenic conditions. Mycologia, 90, 52–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartnicki-Garcia, S. (2002). Hyphal tip growth: outstanding questions. In Molecular Biology of Fungal Development, ed. Osiewacz, H. D.. New York: Marcel Dekker, pp. 29–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bornyasz, M. A., Graham, R. & Allen, M. F. (2005). Ectomycorrhizas in a soil-weathered granitic bedrock regolith: linking matrix resources to plants. Geoderma, 126, 141–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cairney, J. W. G. (1992). Translocation of solutes in ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic rhizomorphs. Mycological Research, 96, 135–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cooke, R. C. & Whipps, J. M. (1993). Ecophysiology of Fungi. New York: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Cosgrove, D. J., Ortega, J. K. E. & Shropshire, W. Jr. (1987). Pressure probe study of the water relations of Phycomyces blakesleeanus sporangiophores. Biophysical Journal, 51, 413–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cowan, M. C., Lewis, B. G. & Thain, J. F. (1972). Uptake of potassium by the developing sporangiophore of Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Transactions of the British Mycological Society, 58, 113–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Donnelly, D. D., Boddy, L. & Leake, J. R. (2004). Development, persistence and regeneration of foraging ectomycorrhizal mycelial systems in soil microcosms. Mycorrhiza, 14, 37–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duddridge, J. A., Malibari, A. & Read, D. J. (1980). Structure and function of mycorrhizal rhizomorphs with special reference to their role in water transport. Nature (London), 287, 834–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eamus, D. & Jennings, D. H. (1986) Water, turgor and osmotic potentials of fungi. In Water, Fungi and Plants, ed. Ayres, P. G. & Boddy, L.. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 27–48.Google Scholar
Egerton-Warburton, L. M., Graham, R. C. & Hubbert, K. R. (2003). Spatial variability in mycorrhizal hyphae and nutrient and water availability in a soil-weathered bedrock profile. Plant and Soil, 249, 331–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frank, A. B. (1885). Ueber die auf Wurzelsymbiose beruhende Erhaehrung gewisser Baume durch unterirdische Pilze. Berichte der Deutsche Botanische Gesellschaft, 3, 128–45.Google Scholar
Friese, C. F. & Allen, M. F. (1991). The spread of VA mycorrhizal fungal hyphae in the soil: inoculum types and external hyphal architecture. Mycologia, 83, 409–18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Griffin, D. M. (1972). The Ecology of Soil Fungi. Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.Google Scholar
Hanks, R. J. & Ashcroft, G. L. (1980). Applied Soil Physics. New York: Springer-Verlag.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardie, K. (1985). The effect of removal of extraradical hyphae on water uptake by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal plants. New Phytologist, 101, 677–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardie, K. & Layton, L. (1981). The influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhiza on growth and water relations of red clover. I. In phosphate deficient soil. New Phytologist, 89, 599–608.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hatch, A. B. (1937). The physical basis of mycotrophy in Pinus. The Black Rock Forest Bulletin, 6, 1–168.Google Scholar
Hoffland, E., Giesler, R., Jongmans, A. G. & Breemen, N. (2003). Feldspar tunneling by fungi along natural productivity gradients. Ecosystems, 6, 739–46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hubbert, K. R., Beyers, J. L. & Graham, R. C. (2001). Roles of weathered bedrock and soil in seasonal water relations of Pinus jeffreyi and Arctostaphylos patula. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 31, 1947–57.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jennings, D. H. (1995). The Physiology of Fungal Nutrition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jury, W. A., Letey, J. Jr, & Stolzy, L. H. (1981). Flow of water and energy under desert conditions. In Water in Desert Ecosystems, ed. Evans, D. D. & Thames, J. L.. New York: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, pp. 92–113.Google Scholar
Leake, J., Johnson, D., Donnelly, D.et al. (2004). Networks of power and influence: the role of mycorrhizal mycelium in controlling plant communities and agroecosystem functioning. Canadian Journal of Botany, 82, 1016–45.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mexal, J. & Reid, C. P. P. (1973). The growth of selected mycorrhizal fungi in response to induced water stress. Canadian Journal of Botany, 51, 1579–88.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nobel, P. S. (1974). Biophysical Plant Physiology. New York: Freeman Press.Google Scholar
Owusu-Bennoah, E. & Wild, A. (1979). Autoradiography of the depletion zone of phosphate around onion roots in the presence of vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza. New Phytologist, 82, 133–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prosser, J. I. (1983). Hyphal growth patterns. In Fungal Differentiation: A Contemporary Synthesis, ed. Smith, J. E.. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc., pp. 357–418.Google Scholar
Querejeta, J. I., Egerton-Warburton, L. & Allen, M. F. (2003). Direct nocturnal water transfer from oaks to their mycorrhizal symbionts during severe soil drying. Oecologia, 134, 55–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reid, C. P. P. & Bowen, G. D. (1979a). Effects of soil moisture on V/A mycorrhiza formation and root development in Medicago. In The Soil-Root Interface, ed. Harley, J. L. & Russell, R. S.. London: Academic Press, pp. 211–19.Google Scholar
Reid, C. P. P. & Bowen, G. D. (1979b). Effect of water stress on phosphorus uptake by mycorrhizas of Pinus radiata. New Phytologist, 83, 103–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhodes, L. H. & Gerdemann, J. W. (1975). Phosphate uptake zones of mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal onions. New Phytologist, 75, 555–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Richards, J. J. & Caldwell, M. M. (1987). Hydraulic lift: substantial nocturnal water transport between soil layers by Artemisia tridentata roots. Oecologia, 73, 486–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Safir, G. R., Boyer, J. S. & Gerdemann, J. W. (1971). Mycorrhizal enhancement of water transport in soybeans. Science, 172, 581–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Safir, G. R., Boyer, J. S. & Gerdemann, J. W. (1972). Nutrient status and mycorrhizal enhancement of water transport in soybeans. Plant Physiology, 49, 700–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Seastedt, T. R. & Knapp, A. K. (1993). Consequences of nonequilibrium resource availability across multiple time scales: the transient maxima hypothesis. American Naturalist, 141, 621–33.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, S. E. & Read, D. J. (1997). Mycorrhizal Symbiosis, 2nd edn. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Stahl, E. (1900). Der sinn der mycorrhizenbildung. Jahrbucher fuer wissenschaftliche Botanik, 34, 539–668.Google Scholar
Tinker, P. B. & Nye, P. H. (2000). Solute Movement in the Rhizosphere. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Treseder, K. K. & Allen, M. F. (2002). Evidence for direct N and P limitation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytologist, 155, 507–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Treseder, K. K., Masiello, C. A., Lansing, J. L. & Allen, M. F. (2004). Species-specific measurements of ectomycorrhizal turnover under N-fertilization: combining isotopic and genetic approaches. Oecologia, 138, 419–25.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Treseder, K. K., Allen, M. F., Ruess, R. W., Pregitzer, K. S. & Hendrick, R. L. (2005). Lifespans of fungal rhizomorphs under nitrogen fertilization in a pinyon-juniper woodland. Plant and Soil, 270, 249–55.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Unestam, T. (1991). Water repellency, mat formation, and leaf-stimulated growth of some ectomycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhiza, 1, 13–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Virginia, R. A., Jenkins, M. B. & Jarrell, W. M. (1986). Depth of root symbionts occurrence in soil. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2, 127–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wang, G. M., Coleman, D. C., Freckman, D. W.et al. (1989). Carbon partitioning patterns of mycorrhizal versus non-mycorrhizal plants: real-time dynamic measurements using 11CO2. New Phytologist, 112, 489–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wells, J. M., Thomas, J. & Boddy, L. (2001). Soil water potential shifts: developmental responses and dependence on phosphorus translocation by the saprotrophic, cord-forming basidiomycete Phanerochaete velutina. Mycological Research, 105, 859–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×