Mycorrhizally Enhanced Phytoremediation of Phosphorus (P) by Riparian Buffer Vegetation:
A Mesocosm Study of Uptake and Leaching
at UVM Greenhouse
2021-2022

Project Description

We investigate phosphorus plant efficiency and leaching in mesocosms with two riparian species, Black Willow and Red Osier Dogwood (Salix niger, Cornus sericea) grown with and without mycorrhizae, in low and high phosphorus soil. Data includes leachate P, plant uptake P, Mehlich-3 P, microbial functional community, and mycorrhizal counts. Soil is from two organic farms at the Intervale (one high & one low in P​).

OBJECTIVES

1. Understand better the effect of mycorrhizae’s effect on plant uptake in low and high P soils. This investigates whether in high P soils plant and mycorrhizae symbiosis still functions to increase plant P uptake.
2. Determine whether plant species matter. This is to find out whether distinct restoration plants respond differently when inoculated with mycorrhizae in soils with differing P levels.
3. Find out how much P can be removed when harvesting woody biomass (through cyclical coppicing) grown in high and low P soils. This is important because ultimately the buffer function of a riparian area depends on how much P can be removed, not just intercepted.
4. Find out whether leachate P is reduced in soils with mycorrhizae.

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Thanks to funders: The Gund Institute for the Environment and the UVM Plant Soil Science Department.

Resources

Read

Peer reviewed published findings: Effects of mycorrhizae, plants, and soils on phosphorus leaching and plant uptake: Lessons learned from a mesocosm study

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Photos

​Pictures of Spring - Summer 2021 Mycorrhizal Bank Mesocosm Study from top left, across going down: mesocosm design & setup, greenhouse sign, Jess & Intern Mary Robideau at work , Intern Paige Sterling preparing mycorrhizal slides, Willow vs. Red Osier Dogwood roots, microplate pipetting for microbial counts, field soil drying for analysis, mycorrhizal microscopy