Question

An experimental forest ecosystem is enclosed in a sealed greenhouse. The entire ecosystem, including the air and soil, is treated with an extremely potent fungicide that kills all fungal life stages including spores. What will probably happen next?
a. Tree growth will increase because the dead fungi will act as a fertilizer.
b. Plants will enjoy a long-term increase in growth and survival because of the removal of fungal pathogens.
c. Dead organic matter will accumulate on the forest floor; plant growth will decline because of a lack of nutrients and the loss of mycorrhizal partners.
d. A few animals will go extinct due to loss of their fungal food sources, but otherwise the forest will be largely unchanged.

Answer 1

Answer: c. Dead organic matter will accumulate on the forest floor; plant growth will decline because of a lack of nutrients and the loss of mycorrhizal partners.

Explanation:

The fungi are the eukaryotic organisms. In nature their role is to decompose the organic matter generated after the death of the living organisms. Some of these fungi lives in symbiotic mutualistic association with the plant roots so as to provide the minerals present in the soil and in return they receive the nourishment from the plants.

The treatment of the forest ecosystem enclosed in a greenhouse with the fungicide will negativity affect the forests. As the dead organic matter will be left undecomposed which will create a large amount of biodegradable waste and in absence of the mycorrhizal partners the plants will not grow properly in the absence of vital nutrients.