title: Mycorrhizal respiration: implications for global scaling relationships.
abstract: Most plant species form mycorrhizas, yet these are neglected by plant physiologists. One consequence of this neglect is reduced ability to predict plant respiration, because respiration rate (R) in mycorrhizal roots might be higher than in non-mycorrhizal roots owing to increased substrate availability associated with enhanced nutrient uptake, coupled with increased respiratory product demand. Other predictions include that mycorrhizal colonization will affect scaling of R with tissue nitrogen concentrations; that mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal root R differ in their response to nutrient supply; and that the impact of colonization on R is related to fungal biomass. Failure to examine properly the role of colonization in determining root R means that current interpretations of root and soil respiration data might be flawed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK. jkh107@york.ac.uk
authors.forename: John K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Hughes
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hodge
authors.forename: Alastair H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Fitter
authors.forename: Owen K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Atkin
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D025301:Hyphae / Q000502:physiology; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D018521:Plant Physiological Phenomena; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D012987:Soil