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Re: [PRIMROSES] PUTTING YOUR TREE TO BED/COLUMBUS/NEW YEAR

Sheila,

My understanding is that mycorrhizal fungus are associated with almost all
trees. Sometimes there will be more than one mycorrhizal fungus on one
tree. It may be that some trees and woody shrubs share mycorrhizae in
unusual ways.

The following is a book report on an article I read in the August 9, 1997
issue of "Science News" vol. 152, No. 6 page 87. It is titled "Communism in
Trees Goes Underground".

Some trees give their neighbors carbon they have captured from the
atmosphere. They use an underground network of fungi to move the carbon.
Scientist had already known about carbon flow between plants but did not
know about individual profit and loss.

Birches subsidized firs with carbon. Birches and firs grow together
naturally and these findings may have implications for life in the forest.
There was a greater carbon flow between trees that shared fungi than there
was between trees that associated with different fungal groups.

The fungi "even out" the carbon supply in the community.

"When we look above ground,  we see a bunch of individuals. When we look
below ground, that individualism becomes much less clear".

"This view challenges current ecosystem models which say plants constantly
compete with each other for resources".

"Perhaps cooperation increases the fitness of the community"
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I thought this might be of interest to some of you out there that feel a
"connectedness" when you are in your garden.

Dan Nelson
Bridgeville DE
zone 7

PS Also in  August 7 NATURE

----------
> .
> >
> >Use of fungicides can kill the mycorrhizae associated with the trees
roots.
> >
> Does mycorrhizal fungus reliably associate with tree roots - like
> nitrogen-fixing  bacteria does with sweet peas, at least by the second
year
> - or is it only sometimes present, depend on certain conditions to
attract
> it, or less likely to find with certain species, etc.?  The reason I ask
is
> that it may be that the fine roots of Cyprepedium spp. might do well
under
> trees, if that fungus is present; after all, it's a woodland plant.
>
> BTW, thanks to all who contributed to the discussion on bedding around
> trees.  I know now what is killing my double ash.  We installed our
'pond'
> (3' deep) about 4' from the trunk base and planted hostas at the base of
> the tree on one side.  The other sides are met with an old planting of
ivy.
>  Had you all not given me the proper information, I would have made the
> pond into a bog, permanently blocking tree roots from getting near the
soil
> surface on one side, while the ivy choked out the other sides.  As it is,
I
> now know what to do to rehabilitate the tree.  I hope it is not too late.
>
> Sheila S.
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