Mycorrhiza - the symbiosis between plants and fungi - plays a key role in plant life. This book reviews for the first time the current knowledge of 15 individual genera of ectomycorrhizal fungi. It is unique in that each chapter is dedicated to a single fungal genus, each written by internationally recognized experts on the respective fungal genera. It is thus an invaluable reference source for researchers, students and practitioners in the fields of mycorrhizal biology, mycology, forestry, plant sciences and soil biology.

Edible ectomycorrhizal mushrooms (EEMMs) comprise more than 1000 species and are an important food and forest resource. In this volume of Soil Biology, internationally recognized scientists offer their most recent research findings on these beguiling fungi. Topics covered include: complex ecological interactions between plants, EEMMs, and soil organisms; comparative genomics, high-throughput sequencing and modern research tools; genetic selection of fungal strains and techniques for inoculating plants; economic and social considerations surrounding wild collected EEMMs; and practical information concerning soil management and EEMM cultivation. The book will be a useful guide for anyone interested in soil ecology, forestry, or the genetics and cultivation of EEMMs, and provides an extensive knowledge base and inspirations for future studies on these ecologically and economically important fungi.

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

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.

Ectomycorrhizae: Their Ecology and Physiology provides an overview of the state of knowledge and opinion on the physiological ecology of ectomycorrhizae, which may be defined as symbiotic associations between nonpathogenic or weakly pathogenic fungi and living cells of roots. Although the book places considerable emphasis on forestry aspects of mycorrhizal problems, its wide ranging subject matter cuts across the boundaries of a number of traditional plant sciences. The book begins with discussions of the structure, cytology, and morphogenesis of mycorrhizae; their classification; and their distribution in native and man-made forests. It then deals with the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi around seeds and roots; nutrition uptake; and the role of hormones in mycorrhizal development. The remaining chapters cover the rhizosphere; the role of mycorrhizae in feeder root diseases and the mechanisms for their resistance; and applications of mycorrhizal relations in forest management. This book will be of interest to a wide variety of researchers and teachers, especially agronomists, biochemists, foresters, horticulturists, mycologists, plant pathologists, soil scientists, plant ecologists, plant physiologists, and microbiologists.

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.

Below the soil surface, the rhizosphere is the dynamic interface among plant roots, soil microbes and fauna, and the soil itself, where biological as well as physico-chemical properties differ radically from those of bulk soil. The Rhizosphere is the first ecologically-focused book that explicitly establishes the links from extraordinarily small-scale processes in the rhizosphere to larger-scale belowground patterns and processes. This book includes chapters that emphasize the effects of rhizosphere biology on long-term soil development, agro-ecosystem management and responses of ecosystems to global change. Overall, the volume seeks to spur development of cross-scale links for understanding belowground function in varied natural and managed ecosystems. - First cross-scale ecologically-focused integration of information at the frontier of root, microbial, and soil faunal biology - Establishes the links from extraordinarily small-scale processes in the rhizosphere to larger-scale belowground patterns and processes - Includes valuable information on ecosystem response to increased atmospheric carbon dioxide and enhanced global nitrogen deposition - Chapters written by a variety of experts, including soil scientists, microbial and soil faunal ecologists, and plant biologists