Assessment of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi of Glyphochloa santapaui: Vulnerable and endemic grass species of Maharashtra, India.

Abstract

Glyphochloa santapaui (S.K. Jain & Deshp.) Clayton santapaui is endemic to Maharashtra state restricted to Ferricrete-Lateritic rocky plateaus at Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri district. Due to ongoing anthropogenic threats this species is rated as Vulnerable under IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and hence attention is needed toward its conservation.The lateritic plant-soil interactions in different taxa is dependent to their microbial or mycorrhizal associates. So far endemic grass species - Arbuscular mycorrhizal associations on Lateritic rocky plateaus are poorly investigated. In present paper critical assessment of AM fungal colonization in roots of vulnerable- endemic grass Glyphochloa santapaui is interpreted. Overall colonization percentage was 71.80%. Moreover, root segments of some samples were commonly co-colonized by dark septate hyphae (dsh) of other fungal endophytes (Ofe) and AM fungi. In present assessment, four Glomeromycota families viz., Acaulosporaceae, Diversisporaceae, Gigasporaceae and Glomeraceae were recorded comprising 18 species under 6 genera. These AM fungal species are viz., Acaulospora elegans, A. rehmii, A. scrobiculata, A. tuberculata, A. appendicula; Diversispora epigaea; Gigaspora albida, G. gigantea, G. margarita, G. rosea; Scutellospora calospora S. dipurpusescrns; Glomus gerdemanni, G. hoi, G. occultum, G. versiforme, G. warcuppi and Sclerocystis sinuosa. On the basis of analysis of spore density and relative abundance, two dominanting species of AM fungi viz., Diversispora epigaea and Gigaspora gigantea were recognized.