There’s buried treasure in the back woods. Sink a spade in the soil by an old oak tree and you’ll come up with the booty.
You won’t be able to see it with the naked eye, but it’s there. The treasure is a microscopic organism called mycorrhiza.
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Myco-who? Mycorrhizae are fungi that live in association with plant roots. The word literally means “root fungus.”
Before you say “Yuck!” consider this: These fungi are essential for the health of the trees in your yard and in the entire woodland community. They are also responsible for the production of crops from coffee to coconuts, bamboo to bananas, and mahogany to mangoes — to name just a few.
What exactly are mycorrhizae? They are a form of fungi that is filamentous — in other words, stringy. The strings are known as hyphae. Many hyphal strands together form a reticulated network called mycelia. Essentially, the microscopic mycelia look like subterranean spaghetti noodles.
Friends with benefits
In the darkness of their life underground, mycelia and plant roots rendezvous. Their covert trysts lead to a special relationship called symbiosis, which means “living together.” In eco-speak, this type of symbiosis is called mutualism. In the vernacular, it’s called a win-win situation. The fungus “wins” by gaining access to plant sugars (carbohydrates). Fungi cannot produce their own food, so these carbs are critical. They are passed from the plant to the fungus by a specialized process known as translocation.
The plant, in turn, “wins” by gaining access to more water, minerals, and nutrients than it could absorb on its own. The lengthy mycorrhizal mycelia create an extensive surface area, thereby increasing the volume of solution taken in. When the mycorrhizae absorb the nutrient- and mineral-rich solution, they pass the goods along to the roots.
The intimate relationship of mycorrhizae and plants has evolved over the past 400 billion years, according to phytologist Mark Brundrett in his 2002 study “Coevolution of Roots and Mycorrhizae of Land Plants.” The oak-hickory woodlands of Illinois developed since the last glaciation, a mere 13,000 years ago. As our unique soil was formed in the wake of the glaciers, hardwood trees and partner fungi were forging new relationships. During that time, “Our own oak species co-evolved with their fungi to reach the cooperative partnership exhibited today,” explained Ben Haberthur, restoration ecologist with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County. “There are as many species of mycorrhizae as there are tree species, and likely more.”
The relationship is delicate, however, and — by no fault of their own — many mycrorrhizae-plant partners have broken up. According to www.agroforestry.net, “Mycorrhizal fungi are particularly vulnerable because they can multiply only while living on the root system of a host plant, and so they cannot survive long in bare-soil conditions. Nor can they thrive in conditions where soluble fertilizers have been used continually for many years.”
Soil degradation
It’s well known that most farmland has been heavily doused with fertilizers over the years, as are many suburban lawns. Mycorrhizae have taken a big hit from the chemical warfare. In addition to the biochemical affront, mycorrhizae have met with serious degradation of soil conditions. Every day soil, with its complement of mycorrhizae and myriad microorganisms, is broken, scraped and pushed here and there. It’s compacted under the tread of graders and bulldozers and backhoes. Inevitably, it’s piled in heaps. With its living and life-giving components torn apart, soil thus becomes dirt. Then up comes a sign advertising that this sorry excuse for a plant-growing medium is for sale.
As soil has been compacted, broken apart, and in many cases paved over, plant roots and their mycorrhizal partners have been torn asunder. A highly functional relationship has become dysfunctional to nonexistent. Or, put another way, the treasure trove of mycorrhizae-rich soil has been pilfered and purloined.
Restoration
That’s the bad news. The good news is that ecologists, agronomists, and gardeners are learning more about soil ecology, and more knowledge leads to better stewardship.
“Many research ecologists dedicate their careers toward deciphering the relationship between oak trees and their associated mycorrhizal fungi,” said Haberthur.
While there’s still much to be learned, there’s an increasing awareness that mycorrhizae are an integral part of a healthy plant community.
Bearing in mind the loss of rich soil biota in many areas, land managers seek undisturbed soil as a starting point for many restoration projects.
“We especially like to site plantings next to woodlands that still contain some component of pre-settlement oaks,” Haberthur said of the district’s restoration work. “Since we know that oak trees thrive when their soil associates are present, it’s logical to think that a thriving community of oaks signifies an equally productive community underground.”
If you’re on a treasure hunt in Kane County, riches can indeed be found underfoot. Remember that these are fortunes to protect and not to plunder. The lowly root fungi are as precious as gold in the garden, in the woods, and in agriculture. So thank a mycorrhiza the next time you enjoy a walk in the woods, sit in the shade of an oak or sip your coffee. This life, like all life, enriches us all.
• Valerie Blaine, naturalist with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County, loves to get her hands in the soil while gardening and restoring her oak woodland. You can reach her at blainevalerie@kanecounty.com.