Arbuscular Mycorrhizae and Plant–Plant Interactions: Impact of Invisible World on Visible Patterns

The word mycorrhiza (literally, “fungus root”) defines the symbiotic relationship between plant roots and soil fungi. The location of the fungal symbiont in the root and its hyphal connections with the soil enable it to influence the absorption of soilderived nutrients; in most cases, the fungus obtains organic carbon as a recent photosynthate from the plant. The mycorrhizal condition is typical for most plants under most ecological conditions (Smith and Read 1997).