Communities of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Their Effects on Plant Biomass Allocation Patterns in Degraded Karst Grasslands of Southwest China.

ABSTRACT: The biomass allocation patterns between aboveground and belowground are an essential functional trait for plant survival under a changing environment. The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities on plant biomass allocation, particularly in degraded Festuca ovina grasslands in ecologically fragile karst areas, remain unclear. Therefore, we conducted a field investigation combined with a greenhouse experiment to explore the importance of AMF compared to bacteria and fungi for plant biomass allocation. The results showed that plant biomass in degraded grasslands exhibited allometric biomass allocation, contrasting with isometric partitioning in non-degraded grasslands. AMF, not bacteria or fungi, were the primary microbial mediators of grassland degradation effects on

SUBMITTER: Li W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12300158 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature