Feedback Between Plants and Soil Microbes in Serpentine and Prairie Grasslands

蛇纹草和草原植物与土壤微生物之间的反馈本研究探讨了某些草种与其菌根真菌之间的关系是否在维持自然群落中植物物种多样性方面发挥作用。 菌根真菌通常与植物根系形成互利的关系。 植物为真菌提供糖，作为回报，它们获得的好处包括增加对水和营养物质的吸收，在某些情况下，还增加了科普有毒金属的能力。 最近的研究已经记录了不同的菌根真菌和不同的植物物种之间的负反馈，其中与特定植物物种相关的真菌不像与群落中的其他植物物种相关的真菌那样为该植物物种提供尽可能多的益处。 因此，当一种植物死亡，其菌根真菌和任何相关的病原真菌留在土壤中，该植物很可能被不同的植物物种所取代，从而促进物种多样性。 这项工作建立在负反馈的基础上，发现在草地上的蛇纹石土壤，自然具有高的重金属含量。 负反馈将进一步探讨在该网站和高草草原，在这些相同的草发生。 研究结果也可能有助于发展促进重金属污染土壤修复的菌根真菌。

Feedback between plants and soil microbes in serpentine and prairie grasslandsThis research investigates whether the relationships between certain grass species and their mycorrhizal fungi play a role in maintaining plant species diversity in natural communities. Mycorrhizal fungi generally form mutually beneficial associations with plant roots. Plants supply the fungi with sugars and, in return, receive benefits that include increased uptake of water and nutrients, and in some cases, increased ability to cope with toxic metals. Recent studies have documented negative feedback between different mycorrhizal fungi and different plant species, where the fungi associated with a particular plant species do not provide as much benefit to that plant species as do fungi associated with other plant species in the community. Consequently, when one plant dies and its mycorrhizal fungi and any associated pathogenic fungi remain in the soil, that plant is likely to be replaced by a different plant species, thereby promoting species diversity. This work builds on negative feedback found in a grassland on serpentine soil, which naturally has a high heavy metal content. Negative feedback will be further explored at that site and in the tallgrass prairie, where these same grasses occur. Results may also help in developing mycorrhizal fungi that facilitate remediation of soils polluted with heavy metals.