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The rangeland grass, Bouteloua gracilis was inoculated with its mycorrhizal symbiont, Glomus fasciculatus, to determine the influence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae on water status, stomatal behaviour and photosynthesis as well as gross plant morphology, biomass and phosphorus content. Mycorrhizal infection increased transpiration rates by over 100% with 50 to 70% lower leaf resistances to water vapour diffusion. Leaf xylem pressure was not different between mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants indicating that whole-plant resistance to water transport was reduced by more than 50%. Photosynthetic rates under saturating light conditions increased 68% with infection as a consequence of a 33% reduction in stomatal...
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Biological soil crusts of arid and semiarid regions of the world are recognized as one of the least explored niches occupied by fungi. The principal species of fungi associated with biocrusts in desert grasslands and their associated soils in two geographically separated sites were identified and compared with species from a similar community in which the active crust had been destroyed by grazing. The results confirm the existence of a highly diverse and to some degree a host specific assemblage (mycosociety) of fungi. Comparison of the prevalent species by presence and commonness at the undisturbed and disturbed sites revealed both quantitative and qualitative changes. The forms absent or with a markedly reduced...
Categories: Publication;
Types: Citation,
Journal Citation;
Tags: Embellisia,
Graphyllium,
Kalmusia,
Macroventuria,
Mycologia, All tags...
Pleospora,
Pseudozyma,
Sclerococcum,
Taeniolella,
biocrusts,
bryophilous fungi,
graminicolous fungi,
lichenicolous fungi,
loculoascomycetes,
mycosociety,
saprotroph,
soil microfungi, Fewer tags
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