2 research outputs found
Biodiversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America: A Review
Identification of species is crucial in understanding how diversity changes affect ecosystemic processes. Particularly, soil microbial are key factors of ecosystemic functioning .Among soil microbes, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF, phylum Glomeromycota) are worldwide distributed and form symbiotic associations with almost 80% of the vascular plants of the earth, except for one species, Geosiphon pyriformis, which associates with the cyanobacteria Nostoc. AMF comprise around 300 morphologically defined or 350–1000 molecularly defined taxa. Since AMF associate with aboveground community, their occurrence and composition can influence ecosystemic processes either through affecting plant community composition and thus its processes rates, or soil microbial communities, which are directly involved in nutrient cycling. Soil microorganisms are considered a potentially suitable target for studying regional and local effects on diversity. The symbiosis with AMF not only increases nutrient uptake by the plant of mainly phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) in exchange for plant-assimilated carbon (C), but also improves the tolerance of plants to various biotic and abiotic stresses such as pathogens, salinity, and drought
Overview of the Mycorrhizal Fungi in South America
The advances in plant cataloging and the increase of studies on mycorrhiza in South America (SA) have led to the compilation of information to better understand the native ecosystems and their constraints. Selected environments ranging from natural to anthropized ecosystems were analyzed according to their fungal-endophyte-associations and fungal-symbionts occurrence in relation to relevant physical-chemical properties of soils of the principal biomes in SA. Considering conservation units, no National Park is under continuous research in SA and few ones have been investigated for mycorrhizal symbioses. Ectomycorrhizas, with scant host-tree species in SA, are also investigated in Argentina and Chile forestry and mostly in exotic trees in Brazil. The study of the mycorrhizas and mycorrhizal fungi ecology and their response to global change, which is urgently recommended, is still incipient. Further, the publication revisions showed that Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, and Ecuador are the countries with more published reports. Studies on mycorrhizas have developed largely; however, most of them were concerned with diversity and morphology, while the applications of mycorrhizas in environmental issues are still limited. The cooperative work between researchers from the Northern Hemisphere and SA could lead to greater advances on the quick and improved knowledge of the wonderful SA ecosystems and their mycorrhizas. This chapter revises and discusses the advances in mycorrhizal fungi understanding drawing on recent research.Fil: Lugo, MĂłnica Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones BiolĂłgicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias FĂsico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones BiolĂłgicas de San Luis; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de QuĂmica, BioquĂmica y Farmacia. Departamento de BioquĂmica y Ciencias BiolĂłgicas; ArgentinaFil: Pagano, Marcela Claudia. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; Brasi