grannysgarden said:Caitlinsgarden, I have tons of information on mycorrhizae. For a brief overview just go to Wikipedia or google it and read about this wonderful fungus. M eats the nutrients in the soil, whether natural or chemical, breaks them down and feeds our plants. In turn our plants feed M carbs such as glucose and sucrose. M is more complex than even scientists know so far. M can hoard nitrogen and feed plants when there is a nitrogen shortage, or supply some plants the extreme nutrition that they need to re-colonize a location, such as lodge pole pines. M can even eat heavy metals and 'clean' contaminated sites over a period of time so that plants can reclaim the area.
It is an extremely interesting fungus and most all of our plants rely on it to some degree. Last I heard grasses and sedges do not. Associations of fungi with the roots of plants have been known since at least the mid-19th century. However early observers simply recorded the fact without investigating the relationships between the two organisms. More in being learned about this vital link between plant and fungus.
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