nutrient cycling – Page 2

A microcosmic experimental overview of durability and nutritional aspects of feces to dung-inhabiting fungi development

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This research studied how quickly different types of animal dung break down and how fungi help this process. Scientists placed cattle and horse dung in bags for six months in Brazil, comparing untreated dung with sterilized dung that had no fungi. They found that fungi speed up decomposition and help release nutrients back into the soil, showing these microscopic organisms are essential for ecosystem health.

Cellular anatomy of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

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Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are special underground fungi that form partnerships with plant roots to help plants grow. Unlike most cells, these fungi form long, tube-like structures without walls dividing them into sections, allowing nutrients and other materials to flow freely throughout their networks. This review explains how these fungi are built at the cellular level, including their walls, membranes, and internal structures, helping scientists better understand how they exchange nutrients with plants and contribute to healthy ecosystems.

A trait spectrum linking nitrogen acquisition and carbon use of ectomycorrhizal fungi

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Forest mushroom fungi form partnerships with tree roots to help them get nutrients from soil. This research proposes that these fungi fall into two main types along a spectrum: ‘absorbers’ that quickly build large fungal networks to capture easily available nitrogen, and ‘miners’ that slowly grow elaborate cord systems to break down difficult organic matter and extract nitrogen. The study uses math models to show how different fungal strategies affect both how much carbon the trees provide and how much nitrogen returns to the trees.

Towards understanding the impact of mycorrhizal fungal environments on the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems

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This research examines how different types of fungal partners of plants affect soil health and function. Scientists propose a new framework called mycorrhizal fungal environments (MyFE) to better understand how these underground fungi influence carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and overall soil properties. They introduced a large-scale experiment called Mycotron to study three main types of mycorrhizal fungi and their distinct impacts on soil processes, which could help us better manage soils in response to climate change.

Enhancing consistency in arbuscular mycorrhizal trait-based research to improve predictions of function

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This review addresses how to better study fungal partners that help plants grow by proposing standardized methods to measure fungal characteristics. These fungi form beneficial partnerships with plant roots, improving nutrient uptake and soil health. By developing consistent measurement approaches and databases of fungal traits, scientists can better predict how these fungi affect plants and ecosystems.

Mycelial communities associated with Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus pubescens and Pinus nigra in a patchy Sub-Mediterranean Karst woodland

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This research studied how fungi living in soil connect to different tree roots in a rocky Mediterranean forest in Slovenia. Scientists found that different tree species have their own preferred fungal partners, though some fungi work with multiple trees. The fungi with longer connections through soil were more common under pine trees, while fungi with shorter reach were more common under oak and hornbeam trees.

Diverse nitrogen acquisition strategies of conifer-associated ectomycorrhizal fungi shape unique responses to changing nitrogen regimes

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This research examines how different types of mushroom fungi that partner with conifer trees acquire nitrogen in different ways. Using genomic analysis, lab experiments, and historical mushroom samples from the past 60 years, scientists found that even closely related fungal species have distinct strategies for obtaining nitrogen from different sources. These findings suggest that coniferous forests may respond quite differently to changes in nitrogen availability compared to forests with broadleaf trees.

Novel epiphytic root-fungus symbiosis in the Indo-Pacific seagrass Thalassodendron ciliatum from the Red Sea

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Scientists discovered a new partnership between seagrass roots and fungi in the Red Sea. Unlike similar relationships found in Mediterranean seagrass, this symbiosis involves fungi that coat the root surface without growing inside. The fungi’s dark pigments may help preserve organic material in seabed sediments, potentially contributing to carbon storage in marine ecosystems.

The influence of mycorrhizal hyphal connections and neighbouring plants on Plantago lanceolata physiology and nutrient uptake

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Fungi that live in soil form partnerships with plant roots and can extend underground networks connecting multiple plants. In this study, plants with access to expanded fungal networks captured more carbon through photosynthesis, accumulated more nutrients like phosphorus and zinc, and released more carbon into the soil. However, whether neighboring plants were present or what type they were did not significantly change these benefits, suggesting that soil exploration volume matters more than plant-to-plant connections through fungal networks.

Research Keyword: nutrient cycling