Mixotrophy in Pyroleae (Ericaceae) from Estonian boreal forests does not vary with light or tissue age.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

In temperate forests, some green plants, namely pyroloids (Pyroleae, Ericaceae) and some orchids, independently evolved a mode of nutrition mixing photosynthates and carbon gained from their mycorrhizal fungi (mixotrophy). Fungal carbon is more enriched in 13C than photosynthates, allowing estimation of the proportion of carbon acquired heterotrophically from fungi in plant biomass. Based on 13C enrichment, mixotrophic orchids have previously been shown to increase shoot autotrophy level over the growth season and with environmental light availability. But little is known about the plasticity of use of photosynthetic versus fungal carbon in pyroloids.

Methods

Plasticity of mixotrophy with leaf age or light level (estimated from canopy openness) was invest

SUBMITTER: Lallemand F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5591414 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature