Biotic and abiotic controls of nitrogen fixation in cyanobacteria–moss associations
Kathrin Rousk
Abstract
Summary Most mosses are colonized by nitrogen (N)‐fixing cyanobacteria. This discovery is relatively recent, which can explain the large knowledge gaps the field is now tackling. For instance, while we have a good understanding of the abiotic controls (e.g. nutrient availability, increased temperature), we still do not know much about the biotic controls of N 2 fixation in mosses. I propose here that we should endeavour to position moss–cyanobacteria associations along the mutualism–parasitism continuum under varying abiotic conditions (e.g. nutrient availability). This would finally unravel the nature of the relationship between the partners and will be a big leap in our understanding of the evolution of plant–bacteria interactions using moss–cyanobacteria associations as a model system.