We investigated the influence of elevated CO 2 and soil N availability on the growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal and non‐mycorrhizal fungi, and on the number of mycophagous soil microarthropods associated with the roots of Populus tremuloides . CO 2 concentration did not significantly affect percentage infection of Populus roots by mycorrhizal or non‐mycorrhizal fungi. However, the extra‐radical hyphal network was altered both qualitatively and quantitatively, and there was a strong interaction between CO 2 and soil N availability. Under N‐poor soil conditions, elevated CO 2 stimulated hyphal length by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, but depressed growth by non‐mycorrhizal fungi. There was no CO 2 effect at high N availability. High N availability stimulated growth by opportunistic saprobic/pathogenic fungi. Soil mites were not affected by any treatment, but collembolan numbers were positively correlated with the increase in non‐mycorrhizal fungi. Results indicate a strong interaction between CO 2 concentration and soil N availability on mycorrhizal functioning and on fungal‐based soil food webs.
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Klironomos et al. (1997) studied this question.