An investigation into the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to dark septate endophytes (DSE) ratio on the coarse root to fine root ratio at varying elevation in the rocky mountains
Abstract
Belowground systems are crucial for sustaining ecosystem function, but often remain unseen. Not very much is known about these systems and improving knowledge of them can aid understanding of ecosystems. Elevational gradients can be good places to test how above- and belowground systems respond to changes in climate. In this study I wanted to see how the relationship between mycorrhizal fungi and plants changes in response to elevation by observing changes in root and shoot biomass. I sampled from three sites of varying elevation and collected aboveground biomass and root biomass. The latter was divided into coarse root and fine root biomass. I then compared changes in biomass across the elevation gradient. I found that both fine and coarse root biomass tended to increase with elevation. The ratio of fine to coarse root biomass decreased with increasing elevation. Therefore, plants at high elevation produce fewer fine roots relative to coarse roots. This indicates a greater reliance on mycorrhizal relationships at high elevation which are dominated by DSE. This study shows the influence of underground biomes on the physiology of plants and showcases the diversity of these biomes across elevation.
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References (7)
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