Mesh bags underestimated arbuscular mycorrhizal abundance but captured fertilization effects in a mesocosm experiment
Aims: Ingrowth bags are widely used to estimate mycorrhizal growth and dynamics. However, it remains unclear to what extent they reflect the surrounding soil, and how this varies with environmental conditions. Methods: We used a fertilization experiment to investigate if carbon-free mesh bags were representative of their surrounding soil. We determined AMF hyphal length density (HLD), phospholipid