Nitrogen-fixing trees: friends or foes of oak-hickory forests?

Nina Wurzburger discusses new research exploring the impacts of nitrogen fixers on tree species in recovering temperate forests. Finding evidence of a detrimental effect of nitrogen fixation on oak-hickory biomass, Wurzburger and colleagues suggest management techniques to manage forest nitrogen cycles. Nitrogen fixation: A crash course Nitrogen-fixing plants are nature’s answer to fertilizer. These plants partner with special bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen in exchange … Continue reading Nitrogen-fixing trees: friends or foes of oak-hickory forests?

How to keep the mycorrhizae? The more hosts you leave, the more symbionts you get

How can tree retention mediate the effects of human-introduced disturbance on ectomycorrhizal fungi? Nahuel Policelli  and Senior Editor, Martin Nuñez discuss the recent article, The significance of retention trees for survival of ectomycorrhizal fungi in clear‐cut Scots pine forests. One of the most important above-belowground interactions is that between plants and mycorrhizal fungi. Acting as symbionts, mycorrhizal fungi are involved in plants’ nutrient uptake and … Continue reading How to keep the mycorrhizae? The more hosts you leave, the more symbionts you get