Urbanization and MycorrhizaeInvestigation of impacted symbioses in terrestrial (water quality, air pollution, agricultural pest management, soil water pollution), freshwater, to the marine waters due to local development.
Mycorrhizae FungiMycorrhizal: form
mutualisms with plants• Ectomycorrhizal-form
sheaths around the roots of partner plants
• Endomycorrhizal-invade interior root cells of host plants (also called vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae, VAM
(Stamets, 2005) (Margulis & Fester Eds., 1991)
http://www.palaeos.com/Plants/Lists/Glossary/Images/Endomycorrhizae.gif
Benefits of Mycorrhizal associations• Increased length and surface area for
absorption • Cool fact: Absorption capacity of mycorrhizal fungi may
be 10-100 times greater than SA of leaves in a forest
(Stamets, 2005)
http://www3.ntu.edu.sg/home/mvvkulish/Image21.jpg
http://www.technion.ac.il/~mdcourse/274203/slides/Digestive%20tract/17-Intestinal%20villi%20Jejunum-A.jpg
http://course1.winona.edu/sberg/IMAGES/mito3.gif
II. Types of Fungi
(Johnson et al., 2006)
2. Nutrient sharing (one mushroom species can connect many acres of a forest in a continuous network of cells)
• Link to coevolution:• Possibility of fungi providing more nutrients
to a tree with which it forms a better mutualistic association (positive feedback)
(Stamets, 2005)
(Johnson et al., 2006)
II. Types of Fungi
(Stamets, 2005)
Douglas Fir
Paper Birch
Western Red Cedar
Ectomycorrhizal
Endomycorrhizal
Nutrient Sharing
Shaded
• Benefits continued… 3. Resistance to
pests
4. Tolerance of extreme conditions
(Johnson et al., 2006) (Bouchez & Roncho, 2008)
(Johnson et al., 2006)
• Benefits continued…5. Soil aggregation
6. Reduced erosion
(Johnson et al., 2006)
• Benefits on different ecological scales:
• Mycorrhizae and herbaceous plants:– Wild leeks (also called ramps) form mutualistic
relationships with mycelium which promote leek health by:
• Bioremediation• Increasing surface area for water uptake• Changing physical and chemical properties of soil
(Leyval & Binet, 1998)
http://greayer.com/studiog/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/mosaic1602239.jpg
Mycoremediation
• Development Problem 1: Fossil fuel emissions• Fossil fuels release polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) • One experiment found that increasing amounts of PAHs
in the soil decreased mycorrhizal colonization of plant roots
• The same experiment found that plants with mycorrhizal associations were able to survive and grow in soils with higher amounts of PAH than plants without these associations
(Leyval & Binet, 1998)(Bouchez et. al, 1995)
• How mycorrhizae bioremediate:– Mycorrhizae bioremediate through bacterial
recruitment and improving soil conditions– Bacteria that are recruited can use PAHs as a
source of carbon and thus break them down and detoxify them
– Link to PRV: Leeks (wild ramps in the PRV) were used in this study and could help detoxify fossil fuel emissions from major highways
(Leyval & Binet, 1998)(Bouchez et. al, 1995)
(Whelan & Rock, 2006)
• Development Problem 2: Input of nitrates into Chesapeake Bay:– One experiment found that Paxillus involutus,
a mycelium associated with Picea abies (Norway spruce) and (Betula pendula) silver birch increased nitrate assimilation (although it was affected by pH)
(Andersson et. al, 1994)