Global comparison of mineral weathering rates by mycorrhiza

风化对地球上生命的维持至关重要，因为它为生物体提供营养。除物理化学风化作用外，生物风化作用可能对矿物的全面降解和生态系统的营养供应起很大作用。菌根真菌越来越多地被认为是生物风化的主要参与者，但由于缺乏大规模的原位比较研究，对潜在的过程仍然知之甚少。该项目旨在通过比较由实现丛枝菌根（AM）或外生菌根（EM）的密切相关的植物主导的森林生态系统，在全球实地研究中阐明菌根真菌的生物风化功能。在21个地球化学监测点，装有不同稳定性和营养成分的矿物质的网袋被掩埋长达三年。使用多种湿化学，成像和光谱方法，我们将评估（i）真菌定植的程度和类型的菌根参与矿物风化，（ii）的选择性，幅度和速率的菌根诱导的矿物风化取决于生态系统的属性，和（iii）不同的有机体群体的生物风化的贡献。这一独特的数据集将在很大程度上扩展我们目前对生物群在全球范围内生态系统功能和可持续性中的作用的理解。

Weathering is of utmost importance for the support of life on earth, as it delivers nutrients to organ-isms. Besides physico-chemical weathering, biogenic weathering might contribute substantially to overall mineral degradation and supply of nutrients to the ecosystem. Mycorrhizal fungi are in-creasingly identified to be a major player in biogenic weathering, but the underlying processes are still little understood as comparative in situ studies on large scale are lacking. This project aims at elucidating the biogenic weathering functioning of mycorrhizal fungi in a global field study by comparing forest ecosystems dominated by closely related plants either realizing arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) or ectomycorrhiza (EM). Mesh bags containing minerals with different stability and nutrient contents are buried at 21 biogeochemically monitored sites for up to three years. Using multiple wet chemical, imaging, and spectroscopic methods we will assess (i) the extent of fungal colonization and type of mycorrhiza involved in mineral weathering, (ii) the selectivity, magnitude and rate of mycorrhiza-induced mineral weathering depending on ecosystem properties, and (iii) the contribution of different organism groups to biogenic weathering. This unique data set will largely extend our current understanding of the role of biota in ecosystem functioning and sustainability on global scale.