Community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Japanese semi‐natural grassland dominated by Pleioblastus chino and Miscanthus sinensis

Abstract

AbstractFor 4 years, from 1999–2002, we studied the flora of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi associated with vegetational change due to grazing in a semi‐natural grassland of central Japan. In this grassland in 1999, Pleioblastus chino was distributed widely and was the most dominant plant species, followed by Miscanthus sinensis, which was distributed in part of the grassland. Coverage by the tallgrass M. sinensis decreased with grazing, whereas coverage by P. chino did not change so much during the experimental period. The degrees of AM fungal colonization and spore population in the rhizosphere showed no remarkable yearly changes during the 4 years. Among spores collected from soils, Glomus rubiforme was always dominant. The AM fungal flora in plant roots was examined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with taxon‐specific primers. Glomus spp. was detected most frequently. Together, the results implied that the AM fungal community in the semi‐natural grassland in Japan might remain stable despite changes in the coverage of some dominant plant species over time.