In today's man-made environments plants can be greatly stressed and the relationship between fungus and root is critical. Unnatural conditions such as concrete, asphalt, roadsides, sidewalk cut outs, trenching, drain fields, air pollution, shopping malls, business districts, and suburban developments adversely effect the presence and abundance of mycorrhizal fungi. Man-made environments often suffer from compaction, top soil loss, and the absence of quality organic matter, conditions which reduce the habitat necessary for the mycorrhizal fungus to survive and thrive Figure 3. Construction sites typically compact the soil and remove organic matter and topsoil. These practices reduce or eliminate mycorrhizal fungi.
Artificial landscapes effect the mycorrhizal relationship in two fundamental ways.
Fortunately, recent advancements in mycorrhizal research and application have made landscape applications with mycorrhiza easy and inexpensive. New products and knowledge result in increased transplant survival and lower long-term maintenance. Figure 4 . This mycorrhizal pine seedling grown in a glass box demonstrates the extended root system provided by the mycorrhizal relationship. The actual pine root is confined to a minimal area directly beneath the plant.