Record ID No. |
558 |
Author(s) |
Lerat S., Gauci R., Catford J.G., Vierheilig H ., Piche Y., Lapointe L , 2002 |
Affiliation |
Univ Laval,Dept Biol,Pavillon Vachon,St Foy,PQ G1K 7P4,Canada |
Title |
C-14 transfer between the spring ephemeral Erythronium americanum and sugar maple saplings via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in natural stands |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Oecologia, 132(2): 181-187p. |
Categories |
Arbuscular Mycorrhiza |
Subjects |
Biochemistry |
Sub-subjects |
Carbohydrate metabolism |
Host |
Erythronium americanum, Acer saccharum., Betula alleghaniensis |
Organism |
EcM, AMF |
Country |
Canada |
Abstracts |
We investigated in the field the carbon (C) transfer between sugar maple (Acer saccharum) saplings and the spring ephemeral Erythronium americanum via the mycelium of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Sugar maple saplings and E. Americanum
plants were planted together in pots placed in the ground of a maple forest in 1999. Ectomycorrhizal yellow birches (Betula alleghaniensis) were added as control plants. In spring 2000, during leaf expansion of sugar maple saplings, the leaves of E.
Americanum were labelled with (CO2)-C-14. Seven days after labelling, radioactivity was detected in leaves, stem and roots of sugar maples. Specific radioactivity in sugar maples was 13-fold higher than in yellow birches revealing the occurrence
of a direct transfer of C-14 between the AM plants. The quantity
of C-14 transferred to sugar maple saplings was negatively correlated with the percentage of C-14 allocated to the storage organ of E. Americanum. A second labelling was performed in
autumn 2000 on sugar maple leaves during annual growth of E. Americanum roots. Radioactivity was detected in 7 of 22 E. Americanum root systems and absent in yellow birches. These results suggest that AM fungi connecting different understorey
species can act as reciprocal C transfer bridges between plant
species in relation with the phenology of the plants involved.
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