The ability of a host plant to associate with different symbiotic partners affects ectomycorrhizal functioning

Some plants that associate with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are also able to simultaneously establish symbiosis with other types of partners. The presence of alternative partners that may provide similar benefits may affect ECM functioning. Here we compared potential leucine-aminopeptidase (LA) and acid phosphatase (AP) enzyme activity (involved in N and P cycling, respectively) in ECM fungi of three hosts planted under the same conditions but differing in the type of partners: Pinus (ECM fungi only), Eucalyptus (ECM and arbuscular mycorrhizal -AM- fungi) and Acacia (ECM, AM fungi and rhizobial bacteria). We found that the ECM community on Acacia and Eucalyptus had higher potential AP activity than the Pinus community. The ECM community in Acacia also showed increased potential LA activity compared to Pinus. Morphotypes present in more than one host showed higher potential AP and LA activity when colonizing Acacia than when colonizing another host. Our results suggest that competition with AM fungi and rhizobial bacteria could promote increased ECM activity in Eucalyptus and Acacia. Alternatively, other host-related differences such as ECM community composition could also play a role. We found evidence for ECM physiological plasticity when colonizing different hosts, which might be key for adaptation to future climate scenarios.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Numerical Prediction of Entropy Generation in Separated Flows

Abstract: The present research investigates second law analysis of laminar flow over a backward facing step (BFS). Entropy generation due to separation, reattachment, recirculation and heat transfer is studied numerically. Local entropy generation distributions were obtained by solving momentum, energy, and entropy generation equations. The effect of dimensionless temperature difference number (Ä) and Brinkman number (Br) on the total entropy generation number (Ns) was investigated. Moreover, the effect of Reynolds number (Re) on the value of Ns was reported. It was found that as Re increased the value of Ns increased. Also, as Br increased the value of Ns increased. However, it was found that as Ä increased the value of Ns decreased. For the bottom wall of the channel, the maximum value of Ns occurs inside the recirculation zone and reduces to a minimum value at the point of reattachment point. Also, for Re ≥ 500, a second peak of entropy generation appears after the reattachment point. For the top wall of the channel, the value of Ns has a maximum value directly above the step and its value reduced downstream the step. The contribution of the top wall to Ns downstream the point of reattachment was relatively small