The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in plant litter decomposition

• Applicant: Dr. Eva Leifheit
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: from 2017 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 336287045

• Final Report Year: 2024

Final Report Abstract

The aim of this project was to investigate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in litter decomposition and stabilization of carbon (C) in soil. Several laboratory experiments were performed to test the generalizability of previous research data in the literature. The main results show that the influence of AMF on litter decomposition depends on the type of litter and the time of sampling. To test the validity of laboratory results, a 6-month field experiment was performed with different types of 13C-labeled litter. Here, it was shown that, although AMF alter litter decomposition initially, these effects disappear with increasing experiment duration. There was no enhanced stabilization of C by AMF after 6 month. This could indicate that the effects of AMF on litter decomposition found in the laboratory are smaller under realistic conditions. However, even these small effects could add up over years or decades and nevertheless contribute to the stabilization of C, e.g. through the stabilization of soil aggregates by AMF. Additional to AMF, saprophytic fungi were investigated with regard to their role in litter decomposition. Phylogeny and the ability to degrade complex organic matter were the most important predictors of leaf and wood litter decomposition. These results show that it is important to understand the role of individual taxa and functional groups within microbial communities for the prediction of litter decomposition and subsequent potential C storage in soil. Another aspect of this research project was the impact of the increasing exposure of soils with microplastics (MP). MP particles, especially MP fibers, influence certain soil parameters that change the habitat and living conditions of AMF, above all the properties of soil aggregates. As a result, AMF functions such as aggregate stabilization or water and nutrient transport can be impaired. Litter decomposition is also altered by MP and can, for example, be greatly reduced by the harmful substances contained in tire abrasion particles. As MP consists largely of C and is therefore a source of energy, it can also influence the turnover and stabilization of organic matter in several ways, e.g. via altered microbial activity, plant growth or litter decomposition. In summary, this research project has contributed to our understanding of the AMF ecology and microbial processes of litter decomposition in grasslands.

Publications

• Mycorrhizas and Soil Aggregation. Mycorrhizal Mediation of Soil, 241-262. Elsevier.
  Lehmann, A.; Leifheit, E.F. & Rillig, M.C.
  
• Das Netzwerk der Natur, Mykorrhiza als Weg in die nachhaltige Landwirtschaft. LOP Lumbrico – Konservierender ökologischer Landbau, 4/2019, S. 40-45
  Leifheit, Eva F.; Hempel, Stefan; Pirhofer-Walzl, Karin; Sosa-Hernández, Moisés A. & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Subsoil Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi for Sustainability and Climate-Smart Agriculture: A Solution Right Under Our Feet?. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10.
  Sosa-Hernández, Moisés A.; Leifheit, Eva F.; Ingraffia, Rosolino & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• (Mikro-)Plastik im Boden. Bodenschutz, 3).
  Brandes, Elke; Braun, Melanie; Rillig, Matthias C.; Leifheit, Eva F.; Steinmetz, Zacharias; Fiener, Peter & Thomas, Daniela
  
• Microplastic fiber and drought effects on plants and soil are only slightly modified by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Soil Ecology Letters, 4(1), 32-44.
  Lehmann, Anika; Leifheit, Eva F.; Feng, Linshan; Bergmann, Joana; Wulf, Anja & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Myristate and the ecology of AM fungi: significance, opportunities, applications and challenges. New Phytologist, 227(6), 1610-1614.
  Rillig, Matthias C.; Aguilar‐Trigueros, Carlos A.; Anderson, Ian C.; Antonovics, Janis; Ballhausen, Max‐Bernhard; Bergmann, Joana; Bielcik, Milos; Chaudhary, V. Bala; Deveautour, Coline; Grünfeld, Leonie; Hempel, Stefan; Lakovic, Milica; Lammel, Daniel R.; Lehmann, Anika; Lehmann, Johannes; Leifheit, Eva F.; Liang, Yun; Li, Erqin; Lozano, Yudi M.; ... & Zhang, Haiyang
  
• Effects of Microplastic Fibers on Soil Aggregation and Enzyme Activities Are Organic Matter Dependent. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 9.
  Liang, Yun; Lehmann, Anika; Yang, Gaowen; Leifheit, Eva F. & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Effects of microplastics on crop nutrition in fertile soils and interaction with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Journal of Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, 1(1), 66-72.
  Moreno‐Jiménez, Eduardo; Leifheit, Eva F.; Plaza, César; Feng, Linshan; Bergmann, Joana; Wulf, Anja; Lehmann, Anika & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Legacy effects of pre‐crop plant functional group on fungal root symbionts of barley. Ecological Applications, 31(6).
  Roy, Julien; van Duijnen, Richard; Leifheit, Eva F.; Mbedi, Susan; Temperton, Vicky M. & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Microplastic effects on carbon cycling processes in soils. PLOS Biology, 19(3), e3001130.
  Rillig, Matthias C.; Leifheit, Eva & Lehmann, Johannes
  
• Microplastics have shape- and polymer-dependent effects on soil aggregation and organic matter loss – an experimental and meta-analytical approach. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 1(1).
  Lehmann, Anika; Leifheit, Eva F.; Gerdawischke, Maurice & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Potential Effects of Microplastic on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi. Frontiers in Plant Science, 12.
  Leifheit, Eva F.; Lehmann, Anika & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Tire abrasion particles negatively affect plant growth even at low concentrations and alter soil biogeochemical cycling. Soil Ecology Letters, 4(4), 409-415.
  Leifheit, Eva F.; Kissener, Hanna L.; Faltin, Erik; Ryo, Masahiro & Rillig, Matthias C.
  
• Proximal and distal mechanisms through which arbuscular mycorrhizal associations alter terrestrial denitrification. Plant and Soil, 476(1-2), 315-336.
  Okiobe, Simon T.; Pirhofer-Walzl, Karin; Leifheit, Eva. F.; Rillig, Matthias C. & Veresoglou, Stavros D.
  
• Tire wear particles: An emerging threat to soil health. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, 53(2), 239-257.
  Ding, Jing; Lv, Min; Zhu, Dong; Leifheit, Eva F.; Chen, Qing-Lin; Wang, Yun-Qing; Chen, Ling-Xin; Rillig, Matthias C. & Zhu, Yong-Guan
  
• Fungal traits help to understand the decomposition of simple and complex plant litter. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 100(5).
  Leifheit, Eva F.; Camenzind, Tessa; Lehmann, Anika; Andrade-Linares, Diana R.; Fussan, Max; Westhusen, Sophia; Wineberger, Till M. & Rillig, Matthias C.