Summary
This influential review by Rillig and Mummey synthesises evidence on the mechanisms by which mycorrhizal fungi, especially arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, contribute to soil structural integrity. The authors examine the physical entanglement of soil particles by fungal hyphae and the cementing role of glomalin-related soil proteins in promoting water-stable aggregates. The paper is likely to argue that mycorrhizal communities represent an under-appreciated but ecologically significant driver of soil pore architecture and erosion resistance.
UK applicability
The findings are broadly applicable to UK arable and grassland systems, where AM fungal communities are sensitive to tillage intensity and synthetic fertiliser inputs; the review supports policy and practice interest in reduced-tillage and organic farming as means of sustaining soil structural health.
Key measures
Soil aggregate stability; hyphal length density; glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) concentration; water-stable aggregates
Outcomes reported
The review examines how mycorrhizal fungi — particularly arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi — influence soil physical structure through hyphal networks, glomalin-related soil proteins, and aggregate formation and stabilisation.
Topic tags
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