Mycotron (UHasselt, CMK)

Mycotron is a common-garden experiment designed to quantify the role of different mycorrhizal fungal types in belowground ecosystem functioning. It comprises 60 experimental plots assigned to 10 distinct treatments, each defined by unique combinations of plant species naturally featuring arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), ectomycorrhiza (ECM), and ericoid mycorrhiza (ERM). These combinations create varying dominance levels of each mycorrhizal type under standardized soil conditions. 

A range of biotic and abiotic parameters can be continuously monitored to characterize the resulting mycorrhizal environments. In addition, targeted experimental approaches can be applied to investigate the role of mycorrhizal fungi in key ecosystem processes, such as decomposition, soil respiration, carbon allocation, and water use efficiency.

Mycotron provides a unique experimental facility for quantifying how distinct mycorrhizal fungal guilds shape belowground ecosystem functions and how their combinations modify these processes.

Within AnaEE-Europe, it serves as a specialized facility for investigating mycorrhizal influences on belowground ecosystem functioning under semi-controlled, replicable conditions.