Mycorrhizal Fungi Contributions to Soil Structure and Carbon Dynamics

Mycorrhizal fungi form mutualistic associations with the majority of terrestrial plants, extending their hyphal networks into soil matrices and orchestrating fundamental modifications to soil architecture and carbon flux. Through the secretion of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and the entanglement of soil particles, these fungi enhance the formation and stability of soil aggregates, promoting porosity, water retention and resistance to erosion. The hyphal enmeshment of mineral particles and organic residues gives rise to macroaggregates and microaggregates that physically protect soil organic carbon (SOC) from microbial decomposition. Moreover, GRSP, a recalcitrant glycoprotein, acts as a binding agent that further stabilises aggregate structure and contributes to long-term carbon sequestration. Recent advances have illuminated the spatial variability of GRSP within soil profiles, its functional properties across climatic gradients and its role in mediating soil responses to agricultural management such as tillage and fertilisation. Collectively, these insights underscore the global significance of mycorrhizal associations in sustaining soil health, facilitating carbon storage and mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, with implications for ecosystem resilience under changing land use and climate.

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Mycorrhizal Fungi Contributions to Soil Structure and Carbon Dynamics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in mycorrhizal fungi contributions to soil structure and carbon dynamics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Mycorrhizal fungi: Soil fungi forming mutualistic associations with plant roots, enhancing nutrient and water uptake in exchange for photosynthate.

Glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP): A recalcitrant glycoprotein produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that binds soil particles and contributes to aggregate stability.

Soil aggregation: The process by which individual soil particles cohere to form aggregates of various sizes, influencing porosity and resistance to erosion.

Soil organic carbon (SOC): The carbon component of soil organic matter, serving as an energy source for microbes and a long-term carbon sink.

Hyphae: Branched, filamentous structures of fungi that explore soil, transport nutrients and physically enmesh soil particles.

Macroaggregates and microaggregates: Soil aggregates larger than 250 µm (macroaggregates) and those between 53 µm and 250 µm (microaggregates), each with distinct roles in carbon protection and water dynamics.

References

1. Evaluation of the relation between soil biomass of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and glomalin-related soil protein in conservation agriculture. Soil Biology and Biochemistry (2023).
2. Glomalin contributed more to carbon, nutrients in deeper soils, and differently associated with climates and soil properties in vertical profiles. Scientific Reports (2017).
3. A critical review of 25 years of glomalin research: a better mechanical understanding and robust quantification techniques are required. New Phytologist (2021).
4. Nitrogen addition increases the contents of glomalin-related soil protein and soil organic carbon but retains aggregate stability in a Pinus tabulaeformis forest. PeerJ (2018).