Arbuscular mycorrhiza: advances and retreats in our understanding of the ecological functioning of the mother of all root symbioses

Abstract Background Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis has been referred to as the mother of all plant root symbioses as it predated the evolution of plant roots. The AM research is a multidisciplinary field at the intersection of soil science, mycology, and botany. However, in recent decades the nature and properties of soils, in which the AM symbiosis develops and functions, have received less attention than desired. Scope In this review we discuss a number of recent developments in AM research. We particularly cover the role of AM symbiosis in acquisition of phosphorus, nitrogen, heavy metals and metalloids, as well as water by plants from soil; mycorrhizal effects on plant nutritional stoichiometry and on the carbon cycle; the hyphosphere microbiome; so-called facultative mycorrhizal plants; explanations for lack of mycorrhizal benefit; common mycorrhizal networks; and arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal ecosystems. Conclusion We reflect on what has previously been described as mycorrhizal ‘dogmas’. We conclude that these are in fact generalisations on the AM symbiosis that are well supported by multiple studies, while admitting that there potentially is a geographical bias in mycorrhizal research that developed in temperate and boreal regions, and that research in other ecosystems might uncover a greater diversity of viable mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal strategies than currently acknowledged. We also note an increasing tendency to overinterpret data, which may lead to stagnation of some research fields due to lack of experiments designed to test the mechanistic basis of processes rather than cumulating descriptive studies and correlative evidences.