Abstract
This chapter describes the technique of ion net flux measurement outside tissues using ion-selective microelectrodes. This technique is non-destructive, highly sensitive and precise. It allows the recording of net ion fluxes at low external concentrations for several hours at known spots of the root. The theory and the making-of behind the microelectrodes are first given in detail. Then, the equipment needed to measure ion fluxes at the root surface is described, together with a detailed presentation of the factors affecting the flux calculation. In the last part of the chapter, examples of measurements obtained in ectomycorrhizal root systems are given, which demonstrate that this technique could be a really powerful methodology for assessing the actual role of ectomycorrhizal roots in highly heterogeneous root systems of woody plants.
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© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Gobert, A., Plassard, C. (2009). Measurement of Net Ion Fluxes Using Ion-Selective Microelectrodes at the Surface of Ectomycorrhizal Roots. In: Varma, A., Kharkwal, A.C. (eds) Symbiotic Fungi. Soil Biology, vol 18. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95894-9_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-95894-9_5
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