Interactions among mycorrhizae, atmospheric CO2 and soil N impact plant community composition

Nancy Collins Johnson; Julie Wolf; George W. Koch

doi:10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00460.x

Interactions among mycorrhizae, atmospheric CO₂ and soil N impact plant community composition

Nancy Collins Johnson, Julie Wolf, George W. Koch

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

53 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examined plant community responses to interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and availability of atmospheric CO₂ and soil N. Communities of 14 plant species were grown in mesocosms containing living or killed AM fungal inoculum, ambient or elevated atmospheric CO₂ and low or enriched soil N. After one growing season, significantly different plant communities existed in the different treatments. Plant species richness was lowest in +N mesocosms and highest in +AM + CO₂ mesocosms. At ambient CO₂, AM fungi reduced richness but at elevated CO₂ they increased it. This was caused by changes in mortality rates of several C₃ forbs and may suggest that CO₂ enrichment ameliorates the carbon cost of some AM symbioses. Soil moisture was higher in +CO₂ mesocosms but +AM counteracted this effect. These results suggest that AM symbioses may be important mediators of plant community responses to anthropogenic CO₂ and N enrichment.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	532-540
Number of pages	9
Journal	Ecology Letters
Volume	6
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00460.x
State	Published - Jun 1 2003

Keywords

Arbuscular mycorrhizae
CO enrichment
Community composition
Evapotranspiration
Grassland
Mesocosm
Mycotrophy
Nitrogen eutrophication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Access to Document

10.1046/j.1461-0248.2003.00460.x

Cite this

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title = "Interactions among mycorrhizae, atmospheric CO2 and soil N impact plant community composition",

abstract = "We examined plant community responses to interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and availability of atmospheric CO2 and soil N. Communities of 14 plant species were grown in mesocosms containing living or killed AM fungal inoculum, ambient or elevated atmospheric CO2 and low or enriched soil N. After one growing season, significantly different plant communities existed in the different treatments. Plant species richness was lowest in +N mesocosms and highest in +AM + CO2 mesocosms. At ambient CO2, AM fungi reduced richness but at elevated CO2 they increased it. This was caused by changes in mortality rates of several C3 forbs and may suggest that CO2 enrichment ameliorates the carbon cost of some AM symbioses. Soil moisture was higher in +CO2 mesocosms but +AM counteracted this effect. These results suggest that AM symbioses may be important mediators of plant community responses to anthropogenic CO2 and N enrichment.",

keywords = "Arbuscular mycorrhizae, CO enrichment, Community composition, Evapotranspiration, Grassland, Mesocosm, Mycotrophy, Nitrogen eutrophication",

author = "Johnson, {Nancy Collins} and Julie Wolf and Koch, {George W.}",

year = "2003",

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AU - Johnson, Nancy Collins

AU - Wolf, Julie

AU - Koch, George W.

PY - 2003/6/1

Y1 - 2003/6/1

N2 - We examined plant community responses to interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and availability of atmospheric CO2 and soil N. Communities of 14 plant species were grown in mesocosms containing living or killed AM fungal inoculum, ambient or elevated atmospheric CO2 and low or enriched soil N. After one growing season, significantly different plant communities existed in the different treatments. Plant species richness was lowest in +N mesocosms and highest in +AM + CO2 mesocosms. At ambient CO2, AM fungi reduced richness but at elevated CO2 they increased it. This was caused by changes in mortality rates of several C3 forbs and may suggest that CO2 enrichment ameliorates the carbon cost of some AM symbioses. Soil moisture was higher in +CO2 mesocosms but +AM counteracted this effect. These results suggest that AM symbioses may be important mediators of plant community responses to anthropogenic CO2 and N enrichment.

AB - We examined plant community responses to interactions between arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and availability of atmospheric CO2 and soil N. Communities of 14 plant species were grown in mesocosms containing living or killed AM fungal inoculum, ambient or elevated atmospheric CO2 and low or enriched soil N. After one growing season, significantly different plant communities existed in the different treatments. Plant species richness was lowest in +N mesocosms and highest in +AM + CO2 mesocosms. At ambient CO2, AM fungi reduced richness but at elevated CO2 they increased it. This was caused by changes in mortality rates of several C3 forbs and may suggest that CO2 enrichment ameliorates the carbon cost of some AM symbioses. Soil moisture was higher in +CO2 mesocosms but +AM counteracted this effect. These results suggest that AM symbioses may be important mediators of plant community responses to anthropogenic CO2 and N enrichment.

KW - Arbuscular mycorrhizae

KW - CO enrichment

KW - Community composition

KW - Evapotranspiration

KW - Grassland

KW - Mesocosm

KW - Mycotrophy

KW - Nitrogen eutrophication

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