Fig. 1.

Schematic representation of brief function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF): At the left portion (A),the zone around the plant root without AM colonization represents the limited absorptive surface area for nutrient and water for plant; In contrast, right side (B) the zone around the plant root with extensive AM network (mycorrhizosphere) represents the extended absorptive surface for nutrient and water for plant; In the rightmost part of the figure representing the comparative exploration pattern of plant root and the fungal hyphae into the soil (C). Plant root with larger diameter unable to access through fine pores into the soil particles, AMF hyphae being finer able to explore through finer soil pores (i) and absorb water from lower water potential (ii).