Mycorrhizal Ecology [Paperback]

This multi-authored book gives an overview of recent advances and breakthroughs in the field of mycorrhizal ecology. The text elucidates mechanisms that determine plant biodiversity - a prerequisite to ensuring successful management for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems. Topics covered include: all the major mycorrhizal types, plant population biology, multitrophic interactions, biological diversity, ecosystem functioning, global change and evolution. This volume shows that collaboration in the rhizosphere is essential for plants, microbes, plant communities and ecosystems. It has been written with ecologists in mind, giving them easy access to an understanding of how these important interactions could shape our ecosystems.

Plants collaborate with many micro-organisms in the rhizosphere to form mutualistic associations. One of the best examples is the mycorrhizal symbio? sis between plants and fungi. Here, fungi support plants with mineral nutri? ents and other services and the fungi, in turn, receive photosynthates from the autotrophic plants. Mycorrhizal associations are common in almost all eco? systems and 80 % of all land plants associate with these mutualistic soil fungi. There is an increasing awareness among biologists, ecologists and mycolo? gists that mycorrhizal associations need to be considered in order to under? stand the ecology and evolution of plants, plant communities and ecosystems. In the last decade, many advances and breakthroughs have been made in mycorrhizal ecology. We aim to summarise these advances in this Volume, with special emphasis given to the ecological function of the mycorrhizal symbiosis. This Volume is divided into six sections. The first section gives an intro? duction to the mycorrhizal symbiosis and discusses the progress that has been made in understanding the ecological function of this association. The second section deals with the eco-physiology of mycorrhizal plants. It also covers the influl³9