Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Geomicrobiology: relative roles of bacteria and fungi as geomicrobial agents
- 2 Integrated nutrient cycles in boreal forest ecosystems – the role of mycorrhizal fungi
- 3 Fungal roles in transport processes in soils
- 4 Water dynamics of mycorrhizas in arid soils
- 5 Integrating ectomycorrhizal fungi into quantitative frameworks of forest carbon and nitrogen cycling
- 6 Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in carbon and nutrient cycling in grassland
- 7 The role of wood decay fungi in the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of the forest floor
- 8 Relative roles of bacteria and fungi in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation and bioremediation of contaminated soils
- 9 Biodegradation and biodeterioration of man-made polymeric materials
- 10 Fungal dissolution and transformation of minerals: significance for nutrient and metal mobility
- 11 Fungal activities in subaerial rock-inhabiting microbial communities
- 12 The oxalate–carbonate pathway in soil carbon storage: the role of fungi and oxalotrophic bacteria
- 13 Mineral tunnelling by fungi
- 14 Mineral dissolution by ectomycorrhizal fungi
- 15 Lichen biogeochemistry
- 16 Fungi in subterranean environments
- 17 The role of fungi in carbon and nitrogen cycles in freshwater ecosystems
- 18 Biogeochemical roles of fungi in marine and estuarine habitats
- Index
- References
13 - Mineral tunnelling by fungi
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of Contributors
- Preface
- 1 Geomicrobiology: relative roles of bacteria and fungi as geomicrobial agents
- 2 Integrated nutrient cycles in boreal forest ecosystems – the role of mycorrhizal fungi
- 3 Fungal roles in transport processes in soils
- 4 Water dynamics of mycorrhizas in arid soils
- 5 Integrating ectomycorrhizal fungi into quantitative frameworks of forest carbon and nitrogen cycling
- 6 Role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in carbon and nutrient cycling in grassland
- 7 The role of wood decay fungi in the carbon and nitrogen dynamics of the forest floor
- 8 Relative roles of bacteria and fungi in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation and bioremediation of contaminated soils
- 9 Biodegradation and biodeterioration of man-made polymeric materials
- 10 Fungal dissolution and transformation of minerals: significance for nutrient and metal mobility
- 11 Fungal activities in subaerial rock-inhabiting microbial communities
- 12 The oxalate–carbonate pathway in soil carbon storage: the role of fungi and oxalotrophic bacteria
- 13 Mineral tunnelling by fungi
- 14 Mineral dissolution by ectomycorrhizal fungi
- 15 Lichen biogeochemistry
- 16 Fungi in subterranean environments
- 17 The role of fungi in carbon and nitrogen cycles in freshwater ecosystems
- 18 Biogeochemical roles of fungi in marine and estuarine habitats
- Index
- References
Summary
Introduction
This chapter reviews the distribution, mechanism and impact of mineral tunnelling by soil ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF). Most trees in boreal forests live in close relation with EMF (Smith & Read, 1997). These EMF mediate nutrient uptake; they form an extension of the tree roots. In turn they obtain carbohydrates from the tree. Over the years ectomycorrhizal (EM) research has a strong focus on nutrient acquisition by EMF from organic sources (Read, 1991). In boreal forest systems, however, minerals could also be an important nutrient source, especially for calcium, potassium and phosphorus (Likens et al., 1994, 1998; Blum et al., 2002). Recent developments in EM research suppose a role for EMF in mobilizing nutrients from minerals (see Wallander, Chapter 14, this volume).
In 1997, Jongmans et al. described small tunnel-like features in feldspar and hornblende grains from Swedish forest soils. These tunnels have the shape of fungal hyphae: a constant width between 3 and 10 μm, smooth borders and a rounded end. In that way they differ from other weathering phenomena such as etch pitches and cracks (Fig. 13.1). In some tunnels hyphae were found. Jongmans et al. (1997) postulated that EMF created these tunnels by mineral dissolution through the exudation of low-molecular-weight organic compounds and subsequent removal of the weathering products. The weathering products like calcium, magnesium and potassium are supposed to be transported to the tree roots. In this way the host tree has direct access to mineral-bound nutrients, bypassing the bulk soil solution (van Breemen et al., 2000a; Landeweert et al., 2001).
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- Chapter
- Information
- Fungi in Biogeochemical Cycles , pp. 311 - 327Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006
References
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