Artículo
Ecosystem engineers activate mycorrhizal mutualism in salt marshes
Daleo, Pedro
; Fanjul, Maria Eugenia
; Mendez Casariego, Maria Agustina
; Silliman, Brian Red; Bertness, Mark D; Iribarne, Oscar Osvaldo
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Fecha de publicación:
12/07/2007
Editorial:
Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc
Revista:
Ecology Letters
ISSN:
1461-0248
e-ISSN:
1461-023X
Idioma:
Inglés
Tipo de recurso:
Artículo publicado
Clasificación temática:
Resumen
Theory predicts that ecosystem engineers should have their most dramatic effects when they enable species, through habitat amelioration, to live in zones where physical and biological conditions would otherwise suppress or limit them. Mutualisms between mycorrhizal fungi and plants are key determinants of productivity and biodiversity in most terrestrial systems, but are thought to be unimportant in wetlands because anoxic sediments exclude fungal symbionts. Our field surveys revealed arbuscular mycorrhizal associations on salt marsh plant roots, but only in the presence of crabs that oxygenate soils as a by-product of burrowing. Field experiments demonstrate that fungal colonization is dependent on crab burrowing and responsible for nearly 35% of plant growth. These results highlight ecosystem engineers as ecological linchpins that can activate and maintain key mutualisms between species. Our findings align salt marshes with other important biogenic habitats whose productivity is reliant on mutualisms between the primary foundation species and micro-organisms.
Palabras clave:
crab
,
bioturbation
,
aso
,
facilitation
Archivos asociados
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Identificadores
Colecciones
Articulos(IIMYC)
Articulos de INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS Y COSTERAS
Articulos de INSTITUTO DE INVESTIGACIONES MARINAS Y COSTERAS
Citación
Daleo, Pedro; Fanjul, Maria Eugenia; Mendez Casariego, Maria Agustina; Silliman, Brian Red; Bertness, Mark D; et al.; Ecosystem engineers activate mycorrhizal mutualism in salt marshes; Wiley Blackwell Publishing, Inc; Ecology Letters; 10; 10; 12-7-2007; 902-908
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