14C Transfer between the Spring Ephemeral Erythronium americanum and Sugar Maple Saplings via Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Natural Stands

• Published in: Oecologia Vol. 132; no. 2; pp. 181 - 187
• Main Authors: Lerat, Sylvain, Rachel Gauci, Jean G. Catford, Vierheilig, Horst, Piche, Yves, Lapointe, Line
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer-Verlag 01.07.2002; Springer
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Autoecology; Biological and medical sciences; Corms; Ecophysiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi; Leaves; Maple sugar; Plant roots; Plants; Plants and fungi; Radioactive decay; Radiocarbon; Saplings; Seedlings; Canada; North America; America; Quebec; Monocotyledones; Growth; Plant juvenile growth stage; Erythronium americanum; Environmental factor; Aceraceae; Fungi; Sapling (stand); Acer saccharum; Seasonal variation; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Hardwood forest tree; Betulaceae; Thallophyta; Energy flow; Photosynthetically active radiation; Radiolabelling; Source sink relationship; Carbon; Betula alleghaniensis; Liliaceae; Endomycorrhiza; Phenology; Mycorrhiza; Spermatophyta; Photosynthesis; Interspecific relation
• ISSN: 0029-8549; 1432-1939
• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-002-0958-9

We investigated in the field the carbon (C) transfer between sugar maple (Acer saccharum) saplings and the spring ephemeral Erythronium americanum via the mycelium of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Sugar maple saplings and E. americanum plants were planted together in pots placed in the ground of a maple forest in 1999. Ectomycorrhizal yellow birches (Betula alleghaniensis) were added as control plants. In spring 2000, during leaf expansion of sugar maple saplings, the leaves of E. americanum were labelled with14CO2. Seven days after labelling, radioactivity was detected in leaves, stem and roots of sugar maples. Specific radioactivity in sugar maples was 13-fold higher than in yellow birches revealing the occurrence of a direct transfer of14C between the AM plants. The quantity of14C transferred to sugar maple saplings was negatively correlated with the percentage of14C allocated to the storage organ of E. americanum. A second labelling was performed in autumn 2000 on sugar maple leaves during annual growth of E. americanum roots. Radioactivity was detected in 7 of 22 E. americanum root systems and absent in yellow birches. These results suggest that AM fungi connecting different understorey species can act as reciprocal C transfer bridges between plant species in relation with the phenology of the plants involved.