My OperaCarbon flow in soil
Thursday, February 2, 2006 2:16:14 PM
The flow of carbon through soil is ten times greater than the amount of carbon moved around by the burning of fossil fuels. Fungi - arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi - found on the roots of 80% of all land plants play a major role in the movement of atmospheric carbon to soil (fixed by plants in the form of CO2) according to a research paper Soil Invertebrates Disrupt Carbon Flow Through Fungal Networks in Science vol 309, 2005, p. 1047.
Abstract at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/309/5737/1047
AM fungi produce filaments (a sort of fungus film or microbial film if you like) that spread widely throughout the soil (sometimes referred to as the mycorrhizosphere) and they are known to be important for effective uptake by plants of water and phosphates (and for sometimes protecting against drought or pathogenic attack) but until now they were not known to play any role in the movement of carbon through the soil.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/NE1000000124377/
It is clearly necessary to include carbon flow through this microbial film in studies of the carbon cycle. Full understanding of the carbon cycle is an important element in climate change research as carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas. All in all microbial activity play a much larger role in geological (in particular mineralogical) processes than previously thought/known.
[The correct spelling is arbuscular and not arbulscar)]
More info on carbon cycle at http://whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk/carboncycle.asp
Ole.
Abstract at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/309/5737/1047
AM fungi produce filaments (a sort of fungus film or microbial film if you like) that spread widely throughout the soil (sometimes referred to as the mycorrhizosphere) and they are known to be important for effective uptake by plants of water and phosphates (and for sometimes protecting against drought or pathogenic attack) but until now they were not known to play any role in the movement of carbon through the soil.
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/newsandevents/pressreleases/NE1000000124377/
It is clearly necessary to include carbon flow through this microbial film in studies of the carbon cycle. Full understanding of the carbon cycle is an important element in climate change research as carbon dioxide is the most important greenhouse gas. All in all microbial activity play a much larger role in geological (in particular mineralogical) processes than previously thought/known.
[The correct spelling is arbuscular and not arbulscar)]
More info on carbon cycle at http://whatonearth.olehnielsen.dk/carboncycle.asp
Ole.
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