Root-Colonizing Endophytic Fungi of the Dominant Grass From a Mongolian Steppe Grassland.

In several terrestrial ecosystems such as grasslands, plants live together with various root-colonizing dark septate endophytes (DSEs), fungi that are relatively frequent colonizers of healthy belowground tissues of plants in these environments. They are important members of the plant microbiota and may have various effects on plant survival under different stress conditions; however, their general functions in relation to plants and the greater ecosystem remain elusive. Although an increasing number of studies has been published focusing on DSEs in Asian grasslands, our knowledge is limited.

Mycorrhizas and soil ecosystem function of co-existing woody vegetation islands at the alpine tree line.

Background And Aims: , and co-exist at the alpine tree line, and can have different mycorrhizal communities. The activity and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi are considered to be important factors in regulation of soil function.

Methods: At a tree line site and a lower elevation site in the Austrian Alps, the community structure of ectomycorrhiza on and was determined.