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24. Continuable Weathering of Silicate Minerals Driven by Fungal Plowing.

Author

Li, Zi‐Bo, Lu, Xiancai, Li, Gaojun, Jin, Zhangdong, Liu, Lianwen, Yin, Zongjun, Zhu, Maoyan, Teng, Hui Henry, Ji, Junfeng, and Chen, Jun

Subjects
SILICATE minerals, SURFACE of the earth, CARBON cycle, SHAPE of the earth, WEATHERING, OLIVINE
Abstract

Silicate weathering acts as a significant carbon sink and sustains ecosystems by supplying essential elements, thus shaping Earth's habitability. However, our understanding the evolution of silicate weathering rates remains incomplete, with most knowledge focusing on rate decreases at solution‐silicate interfaces, while reactivity at fungi‐weathered silicate interfaces is poorly understood. This study shows that the fungus Talaromyces flavus significantly enhances the dissolution of olivine and lizardite covered by Si‐rich layers up to 3.6 μm thick by one to two orders of magnitude compared to abiotic conditions. Initially, fungal hyphae create dissolution channels ∼10–65 nm deep, promoting element release from altered layers and underlying pristine minerals while oxidizing structural Fe(II). Over time, hyphae penetrate these altered layers, exposing and etching the underlying minerals. Our data suggest that fungal etching and penetration degrade the altered layers, leading to increased interdiffusion of weathering agents and released cations, thereby continuously driving silicate weathering. Plain Language Summary: Altered surface layers formed during silicate weathering significantly inhibit the exchange of matter and energy at the fluid‐mineral interface, thereby limiting the weathering process. Fungi, with their vast biomass and widespread distribution on the Earth's surface, are considered important weathering agents. Through experimental investigation of fungal weathering of silicates with altered layers, our analyses and observations of bulk solutions and hypha‐mineral interfaces indicate that fungi can significantly promote the weathering of these silicates. The underlying mechanism could be that fungal hyphae degrade the altered layers through etching and penetration, facilitating the interdiffusion of fungally produced reactive species and released cations cross the altered layers, thereby continuously promoting the weathering of silicate minerals. Key Points: An enhancement of up to two orders of magnitude was observed in fungal weathering of aged silicates compared to abiotic conditionsFungal hyphae enhance the weathering of weathered silicate minerals by penetrating the altered surface layers and etching the fresh mineralFungi can facilitate the interdiffusion of matter and energy across altered layers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published
2024
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