Spread throughout the soils of the world are an often overlooked, but incredibly important group of life forms: mycorrhizal networks. These fungi form a critical component of global ecosystems and are involved in complex transfers of materials that we are just beginning to understand.
Nearly all plants are involved in a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhiza and through vast underground networks of hyphae individual plants are connected to each other. These connections facilitate distribution of nutrients and information within an ecosystem. Plants often transfer nutrients to weaker neighbors, and even to different species. Examples of this include plants with full exposure to the sun transferring nutrients to shaded plants, and conifers transferring nutrients to deciduous trees in the winter. Strong mycorrhizal networks are shown to boost establishment success, growth rate, and survivorship of seedlings, thus being integral to the health of many ecosystems. Information can also be exchanged through mycorrhiza. Chemical signals such as defense hormones are transmitted through the networks, potentially alerting neighboring trees to adverse conditions and attacks. Some plants have even grown to be entirely dependent on mycorrhiza. These plants known as myco-heterotrophic plants have lost the ability to photosynthesize and depend entirely on the networks for nutrients.
These relationships favor a strong and sustainable ecosystem and are incredibly important in environmental fields ranging from woodland conservation to agriculture. Human activities can irrevocably damage mycorrhizal networks and this often leads to their absence in farming, potentially reducing yield by significant margins. Modern grain cultivars have even been severed from mycorrhiza for so long that they can no longer engage in a symbiotic relationship. Second growth forests across Europe also serve as a striking example of the impacts of poor mycorrhizal health. These forests planted as large monocultures of conifers lack the diversity and age to sustain mycorrhizal networks and are populated by sickly short lived trees.
Although not perfectly understood, or widely known, mycorrhizal networks are a critical part of nearly every land based ecosystem and through greater awareness can be leveraged to improve forest health, organically increase agricultural yields, and shed light on the fascinating interconnectedness of life.
Nearly all plants are involved in a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhiza and through vast underground networks of hyphae individual plants are connected to each other. These connections facilitate distribution of nutrients and information within an ecosystem. Plants often transfer nutrients to weaker neighbors, and even to different species. Examples of this include plants with full exposure to the sun transferring nutrients to shaded plants, and conifers transferring nutrients to deciduous trees in the winter. Strong mycorrhizal networks are shown to boost establishment success, growth rate, and survivorship of seedlings, thus being integral to the health of many ecosystems. Information can also be exchanged through mycorrhiza. Chemical signals such as defense hormones are transmitted through the networks, potentially alerting neighboring trees to adverse conditions and attacks. Some plants have even grown to be entirely dependent on mycorrhiza. These plants known as myco-heterotrophic plants have lost the ability to photosynthesize and depend entirely on the networks for nutrients.
These relationships favor a strong and sustainable ecosystem and are incredibly important in environmental fields ranging from woodland conservation to agriculture. Human activities can irrevocably damage mycorrhizal networks and this often leads to their absence in farming, potentially reducing yield by significant margins. Modern grain cultivars have even been severed from mycorrhiza for so long that they can no longer engage in a symbiotic relationship. Second growth forests across Europe also serve as a striking example of the impacts of poor mycorrhizal health. These forests planted as large monocultures of conifers lack the diversity and age to sustain mycorrhizal networks and are populated by sickly short lived trees.
Although not perfectly understood, or widely known, mycorrhizal networks are a critical part of nearly every land based ecosystem and through greater awareness can be leveraged to improve forest health, organically increase agricultural yields, and shed light on the fascinating interconnectedness of life.
(Example of Fungal Relationship) (Myco-heterotrophic Plant)
Sources:
http://www.functionalecology.org/view/0/virtualIssues/VI_MycorrhizalNetworks.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4497361/
The Hidden Life of Trees by: Peter Wohlleben
http://www.functionalecology.org/view/0/virtualIssues/VI_MycorrhizalNetworks.html
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4497361/
The Hidden Life of Trees by: Peter Wohlleben
