Here, we consider the current state of knowledge on N acquisition and transport by ECM fungi and how C and N exchange may be related or affected by environmental conditions such as N availability. Further, there is currently no generally accepted universal mechanism that appears to govern the flux of nutrients between fungal and plant partners.
There are a number of hurdles that we must overcome, however, before this is achievable such as understanding how the evolutionary history of ECM fungi and their inter- and intra- species variability affect their function.
Due to their ecological importance, there is a need to more accurately understand ECM fungal mediated C and N movement within forest ecosystems such that we can better model and predict their role in soil processes both now and under future climate scenarios. This nutrient exchange affects key soil processes and nutrient cycling, as well as plant health, and is therefore central to forest ecosystem functioning. Ectomycorrhizal fungi colonize the roots of their hosts and improve their access to nutrients, usually nitrogen (N) and, in exchange, trees deliver a significant portion of their photosynthetic carbon (C) to the fungi. Symbiosis with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi is an advantageous partnership for trees in nutrient-limited environments.
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