Abstract:
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play various important roles in promoting
plant growth. Numerous environmental and evolutionary factors influence the
response of plants to AMF. However, the importance of the individual factors
on the effects of AMF on plant biomass is not clearly understood. In this study, a
meta-analysis using 1,640 observations from 639 published articles related to
the influence of AMF on the plant shoot, root, and total biomass was
performed; 13 different experimental setting factors that had an impact on
the influence of AMF and their importance were quantitatively synthesized. The
meta-analysis showed that AMF had positive effects on the plant shoot, root,
and total biomass; moreover, the experimental duration, plant root-to-shoot
ratio (R/S), AMF root length colonization, plant family, pot size, soil texture, and
the soil pH all influenced the effects of AMF on the shoot, root, and total
biomass. In addition, the plant root system and plant functional type had
impacts on the effect of AMF on shoot biomass; AMF guild also impacted the
effect of AMF on root biomass. Of these factors, the experimental duration,
plant R/S, and pot size were the three most important predicting the effects of
AMF on the plant shoot, root, and total biomass. This study comprehensively
assessed the importance of the different factors that influenced the response of
plants to AMF, highlighting that the experimental duration, plant R/S, and pot
size should be taken into consideration in pot experiments in studies of the
functions of AMF. Multiple unfavorable factors that may obscure or confound
the observed functions of AMF should be excluded.
