Plant choice between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal species results in increased plant P acquisition.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are plant root symbionts that provide phosphorus (P) to plants in exchange for photosynthetically fixed carbon (C). Previous research has shown that plants-given a choice among AMF species-may preferentially allocate C to AMF species that provide more P. However, these investigations rested on a limited set of plant and AMF species, and it therefore remains unclear how general this phenomenon is. Here, we combined 4 plant and 6 AMF species in 24 distinct plant-AMF species compositions in split-root microcosms, manipulating the species identity of AMF in either side of the root system. Using 14C and 32P/33P radioisotope tracers, we tracked the transfer of C and P between plants and AMF, respectively. We found that when plants had a choice of AMF species, AMF species which transferred more P acquired more C. Evidence for preferential C allocation to more beneficial AMF species within individual plant roots was equivocal. However, AMF species which transferred more P to plants did so at lower C-to-P ratios, highlighting the importance both of absolute and relative costs of P acquisition from AMF. When plants had a choice of AMF species, their shoots contained a larger total amount of P at higher concentrations. Our results thus highlight the benefits of plant C choice among AMF for plant P acquisition.

Options of partners improve carbon for phosphorus trade in the arbuscular mycorrhizal mutualism.

The mutualism between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is widespread and has persisted for over 400 million years. Although this mutualism depends on fair resource exchange between plants and fungi, inequality exists among partners despite mechanisms that regulate trade. Here, we use (33) P and (14) C isotopes and a split-root system to test for preferential allocation and reciprocal rewards in the plant-AMF symbiosis by presenting a plant with two AMF that differ in cooperativeness. We found that plants received more (33) P from less cooperative AMF in the presence of another AMF species. This increase in (33) P resulted in a reduced (14) C cost per unit of (33) P from less cooperative AMF when alternative options were available. Our results indicate that AMF diversity promotes cooperation between plants and AMF, which may be an important mechanism maintaining the evolutionary persistence of and diversity within the plant-AMF mutualism.