Literature

Protozoa stimulate N uptake and growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal plants

Highlights Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi co-occur with protozoa in virtually any soil. Interactive effects of AM fungi and protozoa on plant growth are little known....

Functional Role of Mucilage - Border Cells: A Complex Facilitating Protozoan Effects on Plant Growth

Abstract In rhizosphere soil, mucilage and root border cells (RBCs) form a functional entity, the mucilage border-cell complex (MB complex). Carbohydrates of the MB complex...

Litter quality as driving factor for plant nutrition via grazing of protozoa on soil microorganisms

Abstract Plant residues provide a major source of nitrogen (N) for plant growth. Litter N mineralization varies with litter carbon-to-nitrogen (C-to-N) ratio and presence of...

The “soil microbial loop” is not always needed to explain protozoan stimulation of plants

Abstract Protozoa stimulate plant growth, but we do not completely understand the underlying mechanisms, and different hypotheses seek to explain this phenomenon. To test these hypotheses,...

Substrate heterogeneity and microfauna in soil organic ‘hotspots’ as determinants of nitrogen capture and growth of ryegrass

Abstract In this study we simultaneously manipulated the patchiness of complex organic resources and the composition of microfaunal populations (protozoa and nematodes) in soil, to...