In Mycorrhizal Planet, Michael Phillips offers new insights into the invisible world beneath our feet, explaining the crucial, symbiotic role that fungi play in everything from healthy plants to healthy soils to a healthy planet.--COVER.

This volume explores the various functions and potential applications of mycorrhizas, including topics such as the dynamics of root colonization, soil carbon sequestration and the function of mycorrhizas in extreme environments. Some contributions focus on the use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in various crop production processes, including soil management practices, their use as biofertilizers and in relation to medicinal plants. Other chapters elucidate the role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the alleviation of plant water stress and of heavy metal toxicity, in the remediation of saline soils, in mining-site rehabilitation and in the reforestation of degraded tropical forests. In addition to their impact in ecosystems, the economic benefits of applying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are discussed. A final chapter describes recent advances in the cultivation of edible mycorrhizal mushrooms.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are obligate root symbionts that impact plant growth, productivity and competitiveness. The book integrates key information about AMF concepts, structures and functions, and the new classification of Glomeromycota, including topics about AMF history and evolution, AMF families, genus and species description, as well as a compilation about several protocols to assess AMF and how to identify them. The focus is to provide readers enough information about AMF.

In order to feed the world, global agriculture will have to double food production by 2050. As a result, the use of soils with fertilizers and pesticides in agronomic ecosystems will increase, taking into account the sustainability of these systems and also the provision of food security. Thus, soil ecosystems, their health, and their quality are directly involved in sustainable agronomical practices, and it is important to recognize the important role of soil microbial communities such as mycorrhizal fungi, their biodiversity, interactions, and functioning. Soil ecosystems are under the threat of biodiversity loss due to an increase of cultivated areas and agronomic exploitation intensity. Also, changes in land use alter the structure and function of ecosystems where biodiversity is vital in the ecosystem. Soils are a major aid in food production in all terrestrial ecosystems; however, this means they are also involved in gas emission and global warming. Thus, in agronomic ecosystems, several mitigation practices have been proposed to promote the increase of carbon soil stock, and the reduction of warming gas emission from soils. In South America, most of the rural population depends economically on agriculture and usually works in family units. New, organic, safe, and sustainable agro-forestry practices must be applied to support local communities and countries to achieve hunger eradication, rural poverty reduction, and sustainable development. This book compiles new information for mycorrhizal occurrence in natural and anthropic environments in South America. It includes new reports of mycorrhizal fungi diversity along different mycorrhizal types and their effect on plant communities, plant invasions, the use of mycorrhizal fungi for ecological and sustainable studies, management programs of natural and agroecosystems, and forestry and food-secure production. This book fills the gaps in biodiversity knowledge, management and safe food production of mycorrhizas. It should be a valuable help to researchers, professors and students, to aid in use of mycorrhizal fungi while also focusing on their biodiversity, sustainable safe food production, and conservation perspectives.

This book compiles the most comprehensive collection of protocols currently used in arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal research. This experience-based collection includes methods for isolation, cultivation, detection, and quantification of AM fungi, as well as the use of metagenomics for community studies and experimental procedures for functional genomics. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and cutting-edge, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi: Methods and Protocols serves as an ideal aid for researchers seeking to perform experiments that fill the gaps in our knowledge of the basic biology, functions, and ecology of AM fungi in the hope of deploying these powerful plant fungal symbionts in agriculture more effectively.

The roots of most plants are colonized by symbiotic fungi to form mycorrhiza, which play a critical role in the capture of nutrients from the soil and therefore in plant nutrition. Mycorrhizal Symbiosis is recognized as the definitive work in this area. Since the last edition was published there have been major advances in the field, particularly in the area of molecular biology, and the new edition has been fully revised and updated to incorporate these exciting new developments. - Over 50% new material - Includes expanded color plate section - Covers all aspects of mycorrhiza - Presents new taxonomy - Discusses the impact of proteomics and genomics on research in this area

The second edition of Mycorrhiza falls into a time period of excep tionally rapid growth in mycorrhizal research. Therefore the edi tors have been most pleased with the decision of the Springer Verlag to revise the first edition and to incorporate the remarkable advances experienced in the mycorrhizal field. The pace of discovery has been particularly fast at the two poles of biological complexity, the molecular events leading to changes in growth and differentiation, as well as the factors regulating the structure and diversity of natural populations and communities. Therefore the most significant changes introduced in the new edition of this book are found within these topics. Not only were many chapters up dated, but also new chapters have replaced existing ones. The individual decisions have not been easy, since valuable contribu tions had to be sacrificed in favour of new aspects; but the authors hope that a highly topical new edition will be of greatest benefit for a rapidly expanding field of research. We welcome comments and critics from readers. Since it was possible again to find leading scientists as contribu tors, we are confident that this revised second edition will stimulate further progress and contribute to a deeper understanding of advances in the mycorrhizal field. We are grateful to the Springer Verlag, especially Dr. Dieter Czeschlik, for his continued interest and active help. Dr. Maja Hilber-Bodmer and Dr.