Biocomplexity, Common Mycorrhizal Networks -- Active or Passive Channels? Interacting Roles of Mycorrhizal Fungi, Soil Resources and Plants in Carbon and Nutrient Transfers

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Allen9981548Researchers at the University of California at Davis and Riverside and from Southern Oregon University will examine how the spatial and temporal distributions of soil resources interact with mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots to form networks belowground (common mycorrhizal networks, CMNs). The central hypothesis is that flows of carbon and nutrients in CMNs are not wholly determined either by plants or fungi. The magnitude and direction of flows are determined by interactions between plant species, mycorrhizal fungal species and soil resources -- resources whose availability changes in complex ways in space and time. Changes in any one of the 3 components will result in altered CMN structure and function. The researchers predict that changes in the 3 components will significantly alter fungal and plant species composition and soil resource distribution, resulting in long-term changes in plant community dynamics, soil stability, nutrient cycling rates, and ecosystem production. Research activities, which are being supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences and the Office of Polar Programs, among institutions will be coordinated using three innovative approaches. These include student and post-doctoral researcher rotations among institutions, annual field campaigns integrating participants from all institutions, and web sites to disseminate information. This approach will train students to think broadly about complex systems and about the value of applying multiple skills and tools to complex problems.The research will enhance understanding of the dynamic interactions between oaks and grasses in oak woodlands in California, perhaps allowing more successful preservation and restoration of these woodlands. By comparing biocomplexity above and below-ground in a model system, the researchers expect to learn general principles about how above and below ground systems are linked.