Journal article
Phosphorus supply affects seedling growth of mycorrhizal but not cluster-root forming jarrah-forest species
Plant and Soil, Vol.472, pp.577-594
2022
Abstract
Aims
Fertiliser is often used to kick-start ecological restoration despite growing evidence of the potentially negative impacts on plant diversity. Jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest species growing on nutrient (especially phosphorus) impoverished soils in southwestern Australia have a suite of adaptations for phosphorus (P) acquisition, including the formation of cluster roots, and associations with mycorrhizal fungi. Here we investigated how escalating P supply, along with a stoichiometric adjustment of nitrogen (N) supply, impacted the growth and nutrition of a wide range of jarrah forest seedlings.
Methods
In a pot experiment, we measured seedling biomass and nutritional responses of 12 jarrah forest species to a gradient of P supply in relation to N supply, and for the mycorrhizal species, inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
Results
Three cluster-root forming species did not respond to increasing P, probably because they were reliant on seed P. Generally, mycorrhizal species showed a positive biomass response to increasing P when N was available. Mycorrhizas benefited seedling growth at low P (9 mg P added per kg of jarrah forest soil) when N was also available, and were parasitic to seedling growth at high P (243 mg P/ kg soil) without additional N.
Conclusions
These results highlight importance of P and N supply in determining the nature of the symbiosis between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Since P supply has the potential to reduce plant growth, for a range of species, our results suggest careful consideration of fertiliser amounts for ecological restoration of ecosystems adapted to nutrient poor soils.
Details
- Title
- Phosphorus supply affects seedling growth of mycorrhizal but not cluster-root forming jarrah-forest species
- Authors/Creators
- R.J. Standish (Author/Creator)M.I. Daws (Author/Creator)T.K. Morald (Author/Creator)J. Speijers (Author/Creator)J.M. Koch (Author/Creator)R.J. Hobbs (Author/Creator)M. Tibbett (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Plant and Soil, Vol.472, pp.577-594
- Publisher
- Springer Netherlands
- Identifiers
- 991005545334507891
- Copyright
- © The Author(s) 2022
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Harry Butler Institute
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Industry collaboration
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.45 Soil Science
- 3.45.473 Soil Phosphorus Dynamics
- Web Of Science research areas
- Agronomy
- Plant Sciences
- Soil Science
- ESI research areas
- Agricultural Sciences