Staddon, P L, Ramsey, C B, Ostle, N et al. (2 more authors) (2003) Rapid turnover of hyphae of mycorrhizal fungi determined by AMS microanalysis of C-14. Science. pp. 1138-1140. ISSN 0036-8075
Abstract
Processes in the soil remain among the least well-characterized components of the carbon cycle. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous root symbionts in many terrestrial ecosystems and account for a large fraction of photosynthate in a wide range of ecosystems; they therefore play a key role in the terrestrial carbon cycle. A large part of the fungal mycelium is outside the root ( the extraradical mycelium, ERM) and, because of the dispersed growth pattern and the small diameter of the hyphae (<5 micrometers), exceptionally difficult to study quantitatively. Critically, the longevity of these. ne hyphae has never been measured, although it is assumed to be short. To quantify carbon turnover in these hyphae, we exposed mycorrhizal plants to fossil ("carbon-14 - dead") carbon dioxide and collected samples of ERM hyphae ( up to 116 micrograms) over the following 29 days. Analyses of their carbon-14 content by accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) showed that most ERM hyphae of AM fungi live, on average, 5 to 6 days. This high turnover rate reveals a large and rapid mycorrhizal pathway of carbon in the soil carbon cycle.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | Copyright © 2003 by The American Association for the Advancement of Science. |
Keywords: | GLOBAL CLIMATE-CHANGE,PHOSPHORUS INFLOW,UPLAND GRASSLAND,EXTERNAL HYPHAE,ATMOSPHERIC CO2,PLANT-GROWTH,CARBON,SOIL,RADIOCARBON,MYCELIUM |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) |
Depositing User: | Repository Officer |
Date Deposited: | 18 Nov 2004 |
Last Modified: | 02 Apr 2025 23:04 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1084269 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1126/science.1084269 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:200 |