Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 21, 2025

Investigation of Plant Interactions Across Common Mycorrhizal Networks Using Rotated Cores
Published on: March 26, 2019
Interplant carbon and nitrogen transfers mediated by common arbuscular mycorrhizal networks: beneficial pathways for
Xie Luo1,2, Yining Liu2, Siyue Li1
1School of Environmental Ecology and Biological Engineering, Institute of Changjiang Water Environment and Ecological Security, Key Laboratory for Green Chemical Process of Ministry of Education, Hubei Key Laboratory of Novel Reactor and Green Chemical Technology, Wuhan Institute of Technology, Wuhan, China.
Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in soil and form nutritional symbioses with ~80% of vascular plant species, which significantly impact global carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycles. Roots of plant individuals are interconnected by AMF hyphae to form common AM networks (CAMNs), which provide pathways for the transfer of C and N from one plant to another, promoting plant coexistence and biodiversity. Despite that stable isotope methodologies (13C, 14C and 15N tracer techniques) have demonstrated CAMNs are an important pathway for the translocation of both C and N, the functioning of CAMNs in ecosystem C and N dynamics remains equivocal. This review systematically synthesizes both laboratory and field evidence in interplant C and N transfer through CAMNs generated through stable isotope methodologies and highlights perspectives on the system functionality of CAMNs with implications for plant coexistence, species diversity and community stability. One-way transfers from donor to recipient plants of 0.02-41% C and 0.04-80% N of recipient C and N have been observed, with the reverse fluxes generally less than 15% of donor C and N. Interplant C and N transfers have practical implications for plant performance, coexistence and biodiversity in both resource-limited and resource-unlimited habitats. Resource competition among coexisting individuals of the same or different species is undoubtedly modified by such C and N transfers. Studying interplant variability in these transfers with 13C and 15N tracer application and natural abundance measurements could address the eco physiological significance of such CAMNs in sustainable agricultural and natural ecosystems.
More Related Videos
08:28Mycorrhizal Maps as a Tool to Explore Colonization Patterns and Fungal Strategies in the Roots of Festuca rubra and Zea mays
Published on: August 26, 2022
06:43Author Spotlight: Enhancing AM Fungi Research with SAP-AS — A Novel Technique for Single-Spore Cultures
Published on: June 14, 2024
Related Concept Videos
The Roles of Bacteria and Fungi in Plant Nutrition
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Epiphytes, Parasites, and Carnivores
Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation
Environmental Applications of Microorganisms
Water and Mineral Acquisition