The influence of mycorrhizal hyphal connections and neighbouring plants on Plantago lanceolata physiology and nutrient uptake.

Most plants extend their zone of interaction with surrounding soils and plants via mycorrhizal hyphae, which in some cases can form common mycorrhizal networks with hyphal continuity to other neighbouring plants. These interactions can impact plant health and ecosystem function, yet the role of these radial plants in mycorrhizal interactions and subsequent plant performance remains underexplored. Here we investigated the influence of hyphal exploration and interaction with neighbouring mycorrhizal plants, plants that are weakly mycorrhizal, and a lack of neighbouring plants on the performance of Plantago lanceolata, a mycotrophic perennial herb common to many European grasslands, using mesh cores and the manipulation of neighbouring plant communities. Allowing growth of hyphae beyond the mesh core increased carbon capture above-ground and release below-ground as root exudates and resulted in the greater accumulation of elements relevant to plant health in P. lanceolata. However, contrary to expectations, the presence of mycorrhizal, or weakly mycorrhizal neighbours as well as an absence of neighbours did not significantly alter the benefits of hyphal networks to P. lanceolata. Our findings demonstrate that enabling the development of a fungal network beyond the immediate host rhizosphere significantly influences plant leaf elemental stoichiometry, enhances plant carbon capture, and increases the amount of carbon they release via their roots as exudates. Our experimental design also provides a simple set of controls to prevent attributing positive mycorrhizal effects to neighbouring plant connections.