A trait-based approach to unravel mechanisms link-ing fungi and soil aggregation

Matthias Rillig

Freie Universität Berlin – Institute of Biology
rillig@zedat.fu-berlin.de

(Talk in English)

ATTENTION: En raison des mesures de restriction d’accès au Campus CNRS, les personnes extérieures doivent venir munies de: AFFICHE IMPRIMÉE + UNE PIECE D'IDENTITÉ.

Soil fungi are well recognized for their role as decomposers and as symbionts of roots of plants, such as mycorhizal fungi. Compared to the large body of data on these functions, there is much less known about the key process of soil aggregation, a dynamic process leading to soil structure. There is ample evidence for fungi, especially mycorrhizal fungi, to be drivers of soil aggregation, including recent meta-analyses. However, one of the largest gaps in our knowledge is the mechanistic basis of the formation and stablization of aggregated structures. A trait-based approach can be particularly promising to unravel mechansisms.

Recent publications:

• Lehmann A, Rillig MC (2015) Understanding mechanisms of soil biota involvement in soil aggregation: A way forward with saprobic fungi? Soil Biology and Biochemistry 88: 298-302.
• Leifheit E, Verbruggen E, Rillig MC (2015) Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi reduce decomposition of woody plant litter while increasing soil aggregation. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 81: 323-328
• Rillig MC, Aguilar-Trigueros CA, Bergmann J, Verbruggen E, Veresoglou SD, Lehmann A (2015) Plant root and mycorrhizal fungal traits for understanding soil aggregation. New Phytologist 205: 1385-1388.
• Rillig MC, Mardatin NF, Leifheit EF, Antunes PM (2010) Mycelium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi increases soil water repellency and is sufficient to maintain water-stable soil aggregates. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42: 1189-1191
• Rillig MC, Mummey DL (2006) Mycorrhizas and soil structure. New Phytologist 171: 41-53