30. 4. 2024

Arbuscular mycorrhiza in times of global change and its role in changing ecosystems

Mgr. Zuzana Kolaříková, Ph.D.

(Institute of Botany, CAS)

Připojte se online: meet.google.com/qhf-etyu-sna

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, a symbiotic partner for most terrestrial plants, play an important role in ecosystem functioning and resilience. AM fungi enhance plant nutrient uptake, thereby promoting plant growth and productivity. They also improve soil structure and stability, contributing to carbon sequestration. Moreover, they can influence plant community composition and diversity, with potential feedbacks on ecosystem processes. In a changing climate, AM fungi can mitigate the effects of extreme weather events by enhancing plant drought tolerance and recovery from disturbance. However, global changes, such as land-use change, nitrogen deposition, and climate warming, can disrupt AM fungal communities and their functions. Understanding these interactions is crucial for predicting ecosystem responses to global change. Using greenhouse and growth-chamber experiments, we focus on determining parameters of fundamental niches of arbuscular mycorrhizal species, which would be a valuable tool for predictions of the species' responses to changing abiotic environments. The research is complemented by long-read DNA sequencing, databases search as well as field investigations, which deliver information about the realized niches of AM fungi. We try to reveal the mechanisms underlying the responses of AM fungi to global change and their consequences for ecosystem functioning.

CV of the speaker HERE.