Smritipehimlimbu/Plant-AMF-Rhizobia-under-elevated-carbon-dioxide: Dual inoculation with rhizobia and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi has synergistic effects on biomass of a prairie legume under elevated CO2

Legumes depend on symbiotic associations with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and nitrogen-fixing rhizobia, yet how this tripartite symbiosis responds to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) remains poorly understood. Because both symbionts exchange limiting nutrients for plant-derived carbon, elevated CO2 may increase carbon availability to the host, potentially enhancing the benefits of dual symbiosis. We tested how elevated CO2 affects plant growth, nutrient uptake, and microbial colonization in the prairie legume Lespedeza capitata when associated with AM fungi, rhizobia, or both.