What is mycorrhizal fungi?
The prefix ‘myco’ means fungus and ‘rhiza’ means root. Together they refer to a root fungus. Mycorrhizae are beneficial, symbiotic, fungi that are an intregal part of the root system. More than 98% of the plants in the world have this mycorrhizzal association. Their function is to absorb nutrients and water for the plant and by competitive exclusion, protect the plant from disease. The plant in turn provides about 40% of the food it makes by photosynthesis to ‘feed’ the fungus.
Mycorrhizal Fungi is a Beneficial Fungi Pronounced mī-kə-rī-zəl (see Merriam Webster Online) Trees, flowers and grasses have faced many natural stresses, such as low soil fertility, drought and temperature extremes. To survive, most plant species established a symbiotic partnership with a unique group of soil organisms called mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi are considered by plant scientists to be the biological cornerstone of plant life on earth. Recent research and fossil records indicate this relationship has been going on for 500 million years. Urban environments which consist of concrete, asphalt, roadsides, sidewalk cut outs, trenching, drainfields, air pollution, shopping malls, business districts and suburban developments adversely effect the presence and abundance of mycorrhizal fungi. In addition to reducing the the mycorrhizal fungi available, these environments increase plant stress and the need for water, nutrients and soil structure mediated by their below-ground “partners
