Plant roots associate with diverse microbes (including bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, and
viruses) collectively called the root-associated microbiome. Among them, mycorrhizal fungi …

Inhabiting the interface between plant roots and soil, mycorrhizal fungi play a unique but
underappreciated role in soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics. Their hyphae provide an …

Clarifying the response of soil microbial communities and their potential functions during
succession is of great significance for understanding the biogeochemical processes and the …

Contents Summary 1059 I. Introduction: pathways of influence and pervasiveness of effects
1060 II. AM fungal richness effects on ecosystem functions 1062 III. Other dimensions of …

Fine roots acquire essential soil resources and mediate biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial
ecosystems. Estimates of carbon and nutrient allocation to build and maintain these …

The leaf economics spectrum (LES) provides a useful framework for examining species
strategies as shaped by their evolutionary history. However, that spectrum, as originally …

Soil organic matter (SOM) anchors global terrestrial productivity and food and fiber supply.
SOM retains water and soil nutrients and stores more global carbon than do plants and the …

Although hypothesized for many years, the involvement of ectomycorrhizal fungi in
decomposition of soil organic matter remains controversial and has not yet been fully …

Organic matter decomposition is a biochemical process with consequences affecting climate
change and ecosystem productivity. Once decomposition begins, C is lost as CO 2 or …

Soil contains more carbon than the atmosphere and vegetation combined. Understanding
the mechanisms controlling the accumulation and stability of soil carbon is critical to …