Mycorrhizae Research Paper

The text by Smith S.E & Read D.J recorded that in 1885 Frank A.B invented the word ‘Mycorrhizae’ which is a literal synonym of fungus-root. Many people tend to think of mushrooms and toadstools when it comes to the word fungus but it can also be found in decaying material and plant tissue within the soil where the fungus’s biomass is made up of a large scale of hyphae filaments. This is the main mode of vegetation growth. This system is known as Frank A.B invention ‘mycorrhizae’ and is a vital role in the functioning of the earth's ecosystem. Mycorrhizae is a fungus that grows inside or attached to the surface with the roots of a plant. By the action of the fungus and roots of a plant connecting, LaFantasie J. describes on her lesson that by

adding mycorrhizae to plants, gives an ability to gather nutrients and water from the soil through the fungus. In exchange, the plant feeds the fungus the sugars it produces during photosynthesis. Plants are vital compound of the ecology life and is essential to nature and in people’s lives. So, how does mycorrhizae carry out an important role for the ecosystem? Allen, M.F (1991) ‘The ecology of mycorrhizae’ says that mycorrhizae can help the ecosystem in many ways including, the protection of plants from major drought, protection from plants and other organisms from pathogens which is a microorganism that cause disease, and mycorrhizae can buffer their plant from harm from toxins and heavy metal areas.

Dryland environments have some of the most least protected and most threatened native ecosystem and species especially in New Zealand with an exceptionally high proportion of the most threatened species that evolve their lives around plants. Plants are generally subjected to many environmental stresses of seasonal changes and climate changes especially that live in drylands. One of the major issues on plant productivity is the drought. Mycorrhizae is a key component in helping plants to increase drought resistance and confront water stress. Rapparini, F. and Peñuelas, J. in ‘Global-Ecology’ reported that the effect of mycorrhizae symbiosis in response to drought relies on the positive uptake of transport on water and nutrients - “resulting in the hydration of plant tissues, a sustainable physiology and a clear promotion of growth.” Mycorrhizae can help plants to cope with the harmful effects of water evaporating from the soil. At both levels of leaves and roots, drought stress is counteracted by mycorrhizae through biochemical changes increasing biosynthesis of metabolites that act as osmolytes (compounds affecting osmis). From this structure the osmotic potentials decrease allowing the plants to maintain high organ hydration and sustain an overall physiological activity and live normally. This means even in the drylands there are still ways that plants can grow and stay alive in such dry conditions by using mycorrhizae fungi to support and remain the ecology life of species feeding and living off these plants.

Another of many perks of mycorrhizae is that, mycorrhizae protects plants from pathogens.

A pathogen can be anything that causes a disease, including bacterium which causes meningitis, Viruses causing hepatitis A-C, and a fungus that cause athlete's foot. Plant pathology bacteria can serve economically damaging diseases, from spots, pustules on leaves and fruit, tuber rots to a plant's death. Some bacteria causes a hormone base distortion of leaves and shoots called fasciation. Fungi pathogens spread through plants to steal nutrients of living plants and carry out the part of the life cycle in soil. Mycorrhizae fungi make carbohydrates from plant roots, enhancing plant uptake of inorganic nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen. Cripps, C.L reported on mycorrhizae that “ The relationship is considered nonpathogenic, and of benefit to the plants involved.”- describing that the relationship between mycorrhizae and pathogens is nonpathogenic because mycorrhizae cancels out the disease. Over 85% of plants in nature have the mycorrhizae condition to keep pathogens away. This is why gardeners buy mycorrhizae fungi to help stop diseases of plants and for the safety of humans catching the disease through eating the plants. Food is one of the most important factors in the ecology life cycle and mycorrhizae makes it safe for these plants to take part in the

cycle.

Soils with toxins and heavy metals have been a major concern throughout the whole globe due to the increasing amount of anthropogenic activities and the increase in geologic.

China is becoming one of the increasingly crucial environmental concerns of heavy metal contamination on agricultural land. Heavy metal contamination happens when water resources are short and wastewater is then applied to plants causing major health risks to environmental quality and food production. Many scientists have been exploring solutions of this environmental problem and some research say that mycorrhizae have made a positive outcome in fighting the heavy metals and toxins in the soil. Heggo,A. (1990) studied the mechanism of mycorrhizae and heavy metals and resulted that mycorrhizae fungi may filter excessive metals in the soil. Another study showed that mycorrhizae enhanced tolerance of plants infected with toxic soils. Scientists are still studying to find out ways how mycorrhizae fungi improve these plants and resistance from heavy metals. However, metal and toxin uptake might be also impacted from the soils condition. Mycorrhizae symbiosis are well familiar for their enhancement of phosphorus uptake. This nutritional benefit is questioned to account for the plants tolerance of heavy metals and toxins in the soil. The way that heavy metals and toxins affect the ecosystem is the life of organisms such as plants don’t grow in a healthy manner causing toxic plants where animals and humans can

eat it which will be greatly dangerous and be at life's risk. Toxins can also decrease the plant's carbon intake which creates oxygen for the air that we live in. Mycorrhizae can reduce these toxins and create a safer place for the ecosystem.

In conclusion, mycorrhizae contributes to the ecology in many great ways including; protecting plants from drought so they can help species and wildlife survive in the drylands by food source because mycorrhizae increase drought resistance and confront water stress; the protection from pathogens in plants that create disease to not only plants but also humans by creating carbohydrate enhancing plant uptake of inorganic nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen; and the protection from heavy metals and toxins in the soils of the plant with a questionable reason of an enhancement of phosphorus uptake. All of these points represent that mycorrhizae is vital to the ecosystem and saves the lives of organisms such as plants, animals and even humans.