It is widely claimed that common mycorrhizal networks (CMN) play significant roles in facilitated transfer of nutrients between plants. This experiment investigated the role of a common mycorrhizal network with a C₃ legume and a C₄ grass under drought-stressed conditions, and assessed whether there was an interaction between water and plant species on rhizosphere bacterial DNA community profile. Shoot biomass of Trifolium subterraneum increased by almost 150% when grown in close proximity to Panicum clandestinum when the only possible connection between their roots was via a common mycorrhizal network. Inter-species competition between T. subterraneum and P. clandestinum was observed in low-nutrient soil. The soil bacterial communities in rhizospheres of both T. subterraneum and P. clandestinum were similar. Drought-stress increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes and Actinobacteria and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria, especially when plants were likely connected by a CMN. Drought-stress decreased the abundance of N-cycling genes under P. clandestinum but not under T. subterraneum. The competitiveness of T. subterraneum when grown adjacent to P. clandestinum corresponded with enhanced P acquisition and depletion of soil P under P. clandestinum for both water treatments at different times. Thus, T. subterraneum may have been more competitive due to enhanced direct P acquisition from soil under P. clandestinum rather than by direct P transfer from P. clandestinum to T. subterraneum via a common mycorrhizal network.

人们普遍认为，常见的菌根网络（CMN）在促进植物之间的养分转移方面起着重要作用。该实验研究了干旱胁迫条件下常见的菌根网络与C ₃豆科植物和C ₄草的作用，并评估了根际细菌DNA群落概况上水与植物物种之间是否存在相互作用。当三叶草的根部之间唯一可能的连接是通过共同的菌根网络时，当其生长在接近圆锥花青霉的地方时，地下三叶草的茎生物量增加了近150％。之间的种间竞争T. subterraneum和P.狼尾草在低营养的土壤中观察到。在这两种根际土壤细菌群落T. subterraneum和P.狼尾草相似。干旱胁迫增加了Firmicutes和放线菌的相对丰度，降低了Proteobacteria的相对丰度，尤其是当植物可能通过CMN连接时。干旱胁迫降低了P. clandestinum下地下N-cycling基因的丰度，但并未降低T. subranneum下的N-循环基因的丰度。的竞争力T. subterraneum当邻近生长P.狼尾草对应具有增强P采集和土壤P的耗尽下P. clandestinum用于在不同时间进行两种水处理。因此，T. subterraneum可能是更具有竞争力，由于从土壤下增强的直达P采集P.狼尾草而不是通过从直达P转印P.狼尾草到T. subterraneum经由公共网络菌根。