Effects of mycorrhizal inoculant, N:P supply ratio, and water depth on the growth and biomass allocation of three wetland plant species

Abstract

In the greenhouse, we investigated the growth and biomass allocation of three juvenile wetland species ( Carex tribuloides Wahl., Phalaris arundinacea L., and Rumex orbiculatus Gray) under three different water depths (–4, 0, and +2 cm relative to the soil surface), three N:P supply ratios (1:30, 1:1, 30:1), and two mycorrhizal inoculant treatments (arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi present, absent). After 6 weeks, the plants were harvested, separated to above- and below-ground parts, oven-dried, and weighed. The mycorrhizal inoculant significantly increased plant growth and reduced root:shoot ratios. At an N:P supply ratio of 30:1, plants with AM fungi had significantly greater biomass than those plants without AM fungi. However, at 1:1 N:P supply ratio, plants without AM fungi had greater biomass. Plants without AM fungi had higher root:shoot ratios at 0 and –4 cm water depth than plants with AM fungi. In general, C. tribuloides had the lowest growth, and unlike P. arundinacea and R. orbiculatus, was not affected by the water depth treatment. Growth of the wetland plants was limited more by nitrogen than by phosphorus. Our results suggest that at high N:P nutrient supply ratios and non-flooded conditions the growth of wetland seedlings can benefit by being inoculated with AM fungi.