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

Morris, E. K.; Morris, D. J. P.; Vogt, S.; Gleber, S.-C.; Bigalke, Moritz; Wilcke, W.; Rillig, M. C. (2019). Visualizing the dynamics of soil aggregation as affected by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The ISME journal, 13(7), pp. 1639-1646. Nature Publishing Group 10.1038/s41396-019-0369-0

[img] Text
soil aggregation.pdf - Published Version
Restricted to registered users only
Available under License Publisher holds Copyright.

Download (1MB)

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. 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.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography > Physical Geography > Unit Soil Science
08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography
08 Faculty of Science > Institute of Geography > Physical Geography

UniBE Contributor:

Bigalke, Moritz

Subjects:

900 History > 910 Geography & travel
500 Science
500 Science > 550 Earth sciences & geology

ISSN:

1751-7362

Publisher:

Nature Publishing Group

Language:

English

Submitter:

Moritz Bigalke

Date Deposited:

15 May 2019 16:08

Last Modified:

05 Dec 2022 15:27

Publisher DOI:

10.1038/s41396-019-0369-0

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.128464

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/128464

Actions (login required)

Edit item Edit item
Provide Feedback