| Mycorrhiza, the association between plants and fungi, can be separated into groups based on morphology. The distribution of this association is well understood in terms of the global distribution of plant communities, but in terms of depth, there are fewer investigations. The history and development of current mycorrhizal theories regarding depth are explored in Chapter 1. These assumptions are tested through observational data gathered within Chapter 2. Three broad groups were investigated here, the ectomycorrhizas, the arbuscular mycorrhizas, and the dark-septate endophytes. These three groups broadly associate with the plants in our region of investigation. I had thought that plant colonization by any of these groups would respond to depth, as the soil environment changes by, instead this investigation finds that depth is unsatisfying in explaining much of mycorrhizal distribution. |
