Isolation and species diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Puccinellia tenuiflora of Songnen saline-alkaline grassland, China

Abstract

Salinization has led to the deterioration of the ecological environment, affected the growth of plants, and hindered the development of agriculture and forestry. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, as important soil microorganisms, play significant physiological and ecological roles in promoting plant nutrient absorption and improving soil structure. Puccinellia tenuiflora (Turcz.) Scribn. et Merr. in Songnen saline-alkaline grassland was selected as the research object to observe AM fungal colonization of the roots and explore the species and diversity of AM fungi in symbiotic association with P. tenuiflora. This study showed that AM fungi colonized in P. tenuiflora roots and formed a typical Arum–type mycorrhizal structure. A significant correlation was observed between vesicular abundance and the colonization intensity of mycorrhiza. Isolation and identification revealed 40 species of AM fungi in the rhizosphere of P. tenuiflora, belonging to 14 genera, of which two species could not be identified. The richness of the genus Glomus was the highest, accounting for 30% of the total species. Funneliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus intraradices were isolated from all the samples and were the species with the widest distribution in the rhizosphere of P. tenuiflora. Correlation analysis showed that pH only had a significant impact on the distribution of a few species, such as Glomus pustulatum, Diversispora spurca, Glomus aggregatum, Rhizophagus clarum, and Acaulospora foveata. The present study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the resources of AM fungi in saline-alkaline soil.