Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in the establishment and maintenance of plant communities in forest ecosystems. Most previous studies about AMF have been conducted in natural forests, and little attention has been paid to trees in planted forests. This study investigated AMF associated with tree species and the relationships between edaphic factors and AMF communities in a planted forest of eastern China. We found high total AMF colonization rates in the roots of Carya illinoensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch, Zelkova serrata (Thunb.) Makinoz, Taxodium ‘zhongshansha’, Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., and Elaeagnus pungens Thunb., ranging from 62.07% to 100%, indicating that AMF can establish effective symbiotic relationships with these tree species. The AMF colonization rate was significantly and negatively correlated with soil phosphorus, while AMF colonization intensity was significantly and negatively correlated with soil moisture content, total carbon, and organic matter content. Spore density was in the range of 4.38 to 76.38 spores per g soil. In total, 35 AMF species from 10 genera were identified. Glomus and Acaulospora were the dominant genera. Acaulospora foveata and Septoglomus constrictum were the dominant species. AMF communities differed among the tree species and were closely related to edaphic factors, and AMF diversity was significantly related to soil carbon and pH. Our results revealed the colonization, community, and diversity of AMF associated with tree species, as well as their relationships with edaphic factors, in planted forests. Our findings can be used to provide insight on the utilization and management of AMF to maintain sustainable management of planted forests.
Highlights
Planted forests play an increasingly important role in meeting the demand for wood and environmental conservation, and 20% of forests in China are categorized as planted forest land, covering an area of about one-third of the world’s planted forest land
The results revealed that all the tree species examined could be colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
A previous study demonstrated that C. illinoensis formed mycorrhizas with ectomycorrhizal foveata, Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis geosporum, Funneliformis mosseae, Glomus pustulatum, and Rhizophagus intraradices; and soil moisture content (SM), Available phosphorus (AP), and AK were positively correlated with the occurrence of Acaulospora rehmii, Ambispora leptoticha, Glomus multiforum, Rhizophagus aggregates, Rhizophagus clarus, and Septoglomus constrictum
Summary
Planted forests play an increasingly important role in meeting the demand for wood and environmental conservation, and 20% of forests in China are categorized as planted forest land, covering an area of about one-third of the world’s planted forest land. Decreasing soil quality is the principal threat to sustainable forest management, in planted forests. Soil microorganisms play important roles in soil formation, nutrient cycling, nutrient uptake, and reclamation of ecosystems [1,2,3]. AMF hyphae can take up phosphorous (P), which cannot be absorbed by root hairs [6], and the AMF soil mycelial network provides many benefits to host plants [7], including plant growth promotion [8,9] and improvement of plant resistance to stress and disease [10,11]. The occurrence and colonization of AMF would be beneficial to the survival of tree seedlings and the sustainable management of forests. Investigations on the mycorrhizal colonization statuses of tree species were mainly made in natural forest ecosystems, and have rarely been made in planted forests
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