Fungi found in plants may not be the answer to mitigating
climate change by storing additional carbon in soils as some previously
thought, according to an international team of plant biologists.
The researchers found that increased carbon dioxide
stimulates the growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) -- a type of fungus
that is often found in the roots of most land plants -- which then leads to
higher decomposition rates of organic materials, said Lei Cheng, post doctorate
fellow in plant science, Penn State. This decomposition releases more carbon
dioxide back into the air, which means that terrestrial ecosystems may have
limited capacity to halt climate change by cleaning up excessive greenhouse
gases, according to the researchers.