Mycorrhizae, plant allometry and biomass–density relationships
Plant biomass–density relationships during self-thinning are determined mainly by allometry, but may potentially be influenced by the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Studying alfalfa (lucerne, Medicago sativa), Zhang et al. find that AMF affect the importance of below-ground relative to above-ground interactions, and change root vs. shoot allocation. This changes allometric allocation of biomass and alters the self-thinning trajectory of the population.
