Summary
The external mycelium of a vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungus was effective in aggregating a sandy loam minesoil. The polysaccharide nature of the soil binding agent on hyphal surfaces and on the surfaces of sand particles in contact with the hyphae within the aggregate was demonstrated with the periodic acid-Schiff reagent staining reaction. A possible stabilizing mechanism for macroaggregates was proposed that involves a coupling reaction between glucosamines in the hyphal walls of the fungus with phenolic compounds released during lignin degradation of sericea lespedeza root tissue.
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Rothwell, F.M. Aggregation of surface mine soil by interaction between VAM fungi and lignin degradation products of lespedeza. Plant Soil 80, 99–104 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02232943
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02232943