Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi support plant nutrition soil health and ecosystem resilience

Abstract

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi are widespread symbionts that support plant nutrition, health and resilience while shaping soil microbial communities. This review synthesizes current evidence, with emphasis on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, on their roles in nutrient acquisition, carbon cycling, soil aggregation, disease suppression and tolerance to abiotic stress. The mycorrhizosphere is considered a dynamic interaction hub in which AM fungi, bacteria and nematodes influence nutrient fluxes and multi-trophic ecosystem processes. Recent findings on common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) are also discussed, particularly their potential roles in resource redistribution, defense signaling and plant competition, while acknowledging continuing debate regarding their prevalence and ecological significance. Using an integrative systems-level perspective, this review identifies methodological inconsistencies, geographic and taxonomic biases, and underexplored relationships between AM fungal community composition and ecosystem service delivery. Applications of mycorrhizae in sustainable agriculture, phytoremediation and ecosystem restoration are highlighted, together with constraints such as fungal antagonism, environmental variability and invasive species. Finally, the review outlines key research priorities, including long-term multi-site studies and trait-based approaches, to improve translation of mycorrhizal ecology into scalable management strategies for resilient land-use systems and enhanced ecosystem health.