MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Mycelial traits and GRSP in enhancing soil stability on cold region highway slopes: Comparative effects of three shrub species

Summary

Researchers studied how fungal networks and proteins in soil help stabilize highway slopes in cold regions. They tested three shrub species on gentle and steep slopes, finding that plants with extensive fungal networks (especially Amorpha fruticosa) were most effective. Interestingly, on steeper slopes, the physical structure of fungal threads was more important than chemical binding proteins, while gentler slopes benefited from both mechanisms working together.

Background

Highway slopes in cold regions are vulnerable to soil erosion, threatening infrastructure stability. Soil aggregate stability is fundamental to slope resilience, yet the mechanisms by which plant-mediated belowground traits reinforce soil structure across varying slope gradients remain poorly understood.

Objective

This study investigated how mycelial traits and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) fractions enhance soil aggregate stability across two slope gradients (30° and 60°) using three shrub species: Amorpha fruticosa Linn. (AFL), Lespedeza bicolor Turcz. (LBT), and Swida alba Opiz. (SAO).

Results

AFL exhibited significantly higher aggregate stability (23.1-36.9% higher at steep slope) with strong correlations (r > 0.90) between EE-GRSP, mycelial traits, and stability metrics. Slope gradient modulated trait efficacy: gentle slopes showed dual reinforcement by hyphae and GRSP, while steep slopes relied predominantly on mycelial structure with diminished GRSP contributions.

Conclusion

Plant-mediated mycelial development and GRSP secretion jointly regulate soil aggregate stability through trait-based mechanisms. Slope gradients act as environmental filters that reallocation the relative importance between physical scaffolding (hyphae) and biochemical adhesion (GRSP), highlighting AFL and extensive mycelial networks as critical for slope stabilization in cold regions.
  • Published in:PLoS One,
  • Study Type:Experimental Comparative Study,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0332483
Scroll to Top