Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Association with Rattan Species of the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Perak, Malaysia

Abstract

Rattan Calamus spp. is a high commercial value palm from the subfamily Calamoideae the primary source for cane in the well-developed rattan industry. Most studies on rattan have focused on its biodiversity, distribution, quality, strength, physical, mechanical, and morphological properties and genetics. Still, only a few have investigated the association of rattan with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. These mycorrhizal fungi are well known to play essential functions as promoting plant growth, maintaining plant community biodiversity and nutrient cycles in soil. This study aims to identify the established AM fungi community and their ecological interactions with Calamus spp. in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, Perak, Malaysia. Calamus spp. roots and their rhizospheric soil samples were collected from six sampling sites in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex, one of the oldest rainforests in the world. The degree of mycorrhizal colonisation in Calamus spp. was evaluated using the grid lines method. At the same time, the AM fungi spore diversity in the rhizospheric soils were isolated using the wet sieving method and identified taxonomically analysed into different genera. Calamus insignis showed the highest degree of mycorrhizal colonisation amongst all the Calamus spp. present on the sampling sites. The AM fungi spores isolated from the rhizospheric soil from Belum-Temengor Forest Complex belonged to the genera Acaulospora, Entrophospora, Gigaspora, Glomus, and Scutellospora. Glomus was the most frequently found genus in all the sampling sites. This study is the first record of the AM fungal diversity found in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex.