以前總以為土壤與植物根系空間中的菌根，與植物之間存在著互利共生的關係，單純的只是植物提供菌根所需養分，菌根藉增加比表面積以協助植物吸收養分與水分，甚至協助拮抗土棲病源菌，抵禦病害。
原來，事情沒那麼單純。在此與大家分享來自BBC NEWS新知。
這項研究也更讓我們確認以下事項。
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生態系之精巧與縝密超乎人類所瞭解，但手巧腦拙的人類常無知不覺地破壞的這神奇的設計。
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菌根存在於土壤與植物根系之間，恢復土壤健康並持續保護之，這些菌根系統就能自行建立。
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能順利經營的有機農田都是奠基於生態系穩定建立後的土壤，與此文章之觀點可相互呼應佐證。
Plants can communicate the onset of an
attack from aphids by making use of an underground network of fungi,
researchers have found.
Instances of plant communication through
the air have been documented, in which chemicals emitted by a damaged plant can
be picked up by a neighbour.
But below ground, most land plants are
connected by fungi called mycorrhizae.
The new study, published in Ecology Letters,
demonstrates clearly that these fungi also aid in communication.
It joins an established body of literature,
recently
reviewed in the Journal of Chemical Ecology and in Trends in
Plant Science, which has suggested that the mycorrhizae can act as a
kind of information network among plants.
Researchers from the University
of Aberdeen , the James Hutton
Institute and Rothamsted Research, all in the UK
The team concerned themselves with aphids,
tiny insects that feed on and damage plants.
Many plants have a chemical armoury that
they deploy when aphids attack, with chemicals that both repel the aphids and
attract parasitic wasps that are aphids' natural predators.
The team grew sets of five broad bean
plants, allowing three in each group to develop mycorrhizal networks, and
preventing the networks' growth in the other two.
To prevent any through-the-air chemical
communication, the plants were covered with bags.
As the researchers allowed single plants in
the sets to be infested with aphids, they found that if the infested plant was
connected to another by the mycorrhizae, the un-infested plant began to mount
its chemical defence.
Some
strains of wheat have been genetically modified specifically to resist the
aphid threat.
Those unconnected by the networks appeared
not to receive the signal of attack, and showed no chemical response.
"Mycorrhizal fungi need to get
[products of photosynthesis] from the plant, and they have to do something for
the plant," explained John Pickett of Rothamsted Research.
"In the past, we thought of them
making nutrients available from the [roots and soil], but now we see another
evolutionary role for them in which they pay the plant back by transmitting the
signal efficiently," he told BBC News.
Prof Pickett expressed his "abject
surprise that it was just so powerful - just such a fantastic signalling
system".
The finding could be put to use in many
crops that suffer aphid damage, by arranging for a particular,
"sacrificial" plant to be more susceptible to aphid infestation, so
that when aphids threaten, the network can provide advance notice for the rest
of the crop.
"Now we've got a chance in a really
robust manner of switching on the defence when it is needed - not straining the
plant to do it all the time - and to reduce the development of resistance (of
the aphids to the plants' defences)," Prof Pickett said.
上文大意為：
這項研究由英國Aberdeen大學、詹姆斯荷頓研究所和洛桑研究所研究人員共同完成。由英國Aberdeen大學、詹姆斯荷頓研究所和洛桑研究所研究人員共同完成的研究揭露研究發現，植物可通過真菌向與其網路相聯的其他植物傳遞蚜蟲入侵的警告信號，接收到信號的植物可發出化學信號，抵制蚜蟲並且吸引蚜蟲的天敵黃蜂。植物可通過真菌的菌根向與其網絡相聯的其他植物傳遞蚜蟲入侵的警告信號，接收到信號的植物可發出化學信號，抵制蚜蟲並且吸引蚜蟲的天敵黃蜂。
此前的研究發現，植物能通過空氣來傳達類似的警告資訊。前人研究中發現，植物能以空氣為介質來傳達類似的警告訊息。本項新研究稱，植物通過一種名叫“菌根”的真菌相互聯繫。新研究則結論，植物可透過真菌性的“菌根”取得相互聯繫。 “菌根真菌從植物那裏獲取'光合作用的產物'，它們也必須為植物做點什麼。”洛桑研究所的約翰·皮克特對英國廣播公司（BBC）說。 菌根獲致來自於植物所供應的碳水化合物以維持基本生存所需，而他們提供能力所級的對應回報。
“我們過去認為菌根從根系和土壤中吸收營養素，但現在我們看到了它們的另一個進化功能，即通過有效傳遞信號回報植物。” “我們過去認為菌根從根系和土壤中吸收營養素，但現在我們看到了它們的另一個進化功能，即通過有效傳遞信號回報植物。”
Aberdeen大學的大衛·詹森補充道：“以往我們對生態系統的認識中並沒有考慮植物可通過這種方式互相聯繫。這對我們理解生物之間如何相互影響有著重大的啟示意義。”Aberdeen大學的大衛·約翰遜補充道：“以往我們對生態系統的認識中並沒有考慮植物可通過這種方式互相聯繫。這對我們理解生物之間如何相互影響有著重大的啟示意義。”
與此相反，未與真菌網路相連的植物在遭受攻擊後沒有發出警告信號。與此相反，未與真菌網絡相連的植物在遭受攻擊後沒有發出警告信號。 在研究過程中，這些植物還被套上了袋子，以確保它們不會通過空氣傳遞信號。在研究過程中，這些植物還被套上了袋子，以確保它們不會通過空氣傳遞信號。
皮克特稱，這個發現非常有益，如農場可以用真菌作為農作物的預警系統。皮克特稱，這個發現非常有益，如農場可以用真菌作為農作物的預警系統。 理論上，可以在農作物附近種植一株植物“捨身取義”，它一旦受到昆蟲攻擊，就會迅速通過真菌網路警告其他農作物，讓它們有時間組織防禦。理論上，可以在農作物附近種植一株哨兵植物“捨身取義”，它一旦受到昆蟲攻擊，就會迅速通過真菌網絡警告其他農作物，讓它們有時間組織防禦。