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Title: Visualizing the dynamics of soil aggregation as affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Journal Article · · The ISME Journal
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5]; ORCiD logo [6]; ORCiD logo [7]
  1. Xavier Univ., Cincinnati, OH (United States); Univ. Berlin (Germany)
  2. Xavier Univ., Cincinnati, OH (United States)
  3. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
  4. Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States); Georg-August-Univ., Göttingen (Germany)
  5. Univ. of Bern (Switzerland)
  6. Inst. für Geographie und Geoökologie, Karlsruhe (Germany)
  7. Univ. Berlin (Germany)
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Stable soils provide valuable ecosystem services and mechanical soil stability is enhanced by the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Soil aggregation, which is the major driver of mechanical soil stability, is often treated as a static phenomenon, even though aggregate turnover is continually ongoing. In fact, some breakdown of macroaggregates is necessary to allow new aggregate formation and inclusion of new organic matter into microaggregates. We determined how aggregate turnover times were affected by AMF by tracking movement of rare earth elements (REE), applied as their immobile oxides, between aggregate size classes, and using X-ray fluorescence microscopy to spatially localize REEs in a sample of aggregates. Here we show that AMF increased large macroaggregate formation and slowed down disintegration of large and small macroaggregates. Microaggregate turnover was increased in the presence of AMF. Finally, internal aggregate organization suggested that although formation of microaggregates by accretion of soil to particulate organic matter is common, it is not the only mechanism in operation.

Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities Division
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
1595790
Journal Information:
The ISME Journal, Vol. 13, Issue 7; ISSN 1751-7362
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 68 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (2)

Effect of Indigenous and Introduced Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on Growth and Phytochemical Content of Vegetatively Propagated Prunus africana (Hook. f.) Kalkman Provenances journal December 2019
Interaction entre Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM 197198, exsudats racinaires antifongiques du type hévéine et stress hydrique chez le clone d’hévéa IRCA 331 greffé au clone GT1 journal December 2019

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
dynamics
rare earth oxides
soil aggregation
turnover