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Once the hyphae have penetrated the cell, some of the fungal
hyphae become highly branched to form dense knot-like
invaginations called arbuscles.
Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae
Orchid mycorrhizae for all or part of their life cycle, orchids are
obligately dependent on their mycorrhizal partner.
Out of It
There are four major plant families that do not form mycorrhizae:
Amaranthaceae (Pigweed)
Brassicaceae (Mustard)
Chemopodiaceae (Goosefoot)
Zygophyllaceae (Caltrop)
Ectomycorrhizae
Mycorrhizal fungi produce a hyphal network in soils consisting of
individual strands of hyphae or relatively undifferentiated bundles
of hyphae called mycelial strands. Some fungi can produce
rhizomorphs, which contain specialised conducting hyphae, or
sclerotia, which are resistant storage structures. Soil hyphae acquire
nutrients.
Fungal structures in soil
Absorptive hyphae
Mycellial
strand Scleridia
Mycorrhizal
root Rhizomorphs
Soil
Example of ECM short roots (arrows) of birch
(Betula alleghaniensis), an angiosperm tree. The
mycorrhizal short roots are thicker than other
laterals of the same order due to the mantle and
Hartig net.
Early stage of
colonisation of pine short
root by Pisolithus
tinctorius. Hyphae
(arrows) have contacted
the root and are starting
to proliferate on its
surface near the apex (A).
Mycorrhizal root
system washed carefully
from coarse sand to
reveal the intact
network with external
hyphae (arrow) with
spores (S) produced by
Glomus mosseae.
http://www.ffp.csiro.au/research/mycorrhiza/ecm.html
Appressorium
At entry point Epidermis
Intercellular
Intracellular Hypodermis hyphae in air
hyphae channel
Arbuscules
Vesicle Cortex
fungi are more tolerant of acidity, elemental toxicity and high soil temperatures than are
higher plants and able to, in some cases (ectomycorrhizae), shield the root from these
condition.
Lower levels of heavy metals generally found in mycorrhizal plants than nonmycorrhizal
plants.
Benefits of Mycorrhizae
Increased seedling survival
Mycorrhiza promotes plant survival, whether new seedlings or out-planted container stock.
Survival of inoculated plants can be up to five times the survival of uninoculated plants.
No symbionts
Mycorrhizae and Plant diversity
Basis for fungal species richness on plant biodiversity and production
Increasing diversity
Mycorrhizae and Plant diversity
Basis for fungal species richness on plant biodiversity and production
Increasing diversity
Increasing productivity
Mycorrhizae and Plant diversity
Basis for fungal species richness on plant biodiversity and production
Increasing diversity
Increasing productivity
Effects of mycorrhizal fungal species richness on plants
1. http://scitec.uwichill.edu.bb/bcs/mycorrhizas
2. Campbell, N.A. and Jane B. Reese. 2002. Biology 6th Ed., Benjamin
Cummings, San Francisco, CA.