Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form mutualistic symbioses with
the root systems of most plant species. These
mutualisms regulate nutrient exchange in the plant–soil interface
and might influence the way in which plants
respond to increasing atmospheric CO2. In other experiments,
mycorrhizal responses to elevated CO2 have been
variable, so in this study we test the hypothesis that different genera
of
AM fungi differ in their response, and in
turn alter the plant's response, to elevated CO2. Four
species from three genera of AM fungi were tested. Artemisia
tridentata Nutt. seedlings were inoculated with either Glomus
intraradices Schenck & Smith, Glomus etunicatum
Becker & Gerdemann, Acaulospora sp. or Scutellospora
calospora (Nicol. & Gerd.) Walker & Sanders and grown
at either ambient CO2 (350 ppm) or elevated CO2
(700 ppm). Several significant inter-specific responses were
detected. Elevated CO2 caused percent arbuscular and hyphal
colonization to increase for the two Glomus species,
but not for Acaulospora sp. or S. calospora.
Vesicular colonization was not affected by elevated CO2 for
any fungal
species. In the extra-radical phase, the two Glomus species
produced a significantly higher number of spores in
response to elevated CO2, whereas Acaulospora sp. and
S. calospora developed significantly higher hyphal lengths.
These data show that AM fungal taxa differ in their growth allocation
strategies and in their responses to elevated
CO2, and that mycorrhizal diversity should not be overlooked
in global change research.