Abstract
We evaluate the use of signature fatty acids and direct hyphal counts as tools to detect and quantify arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and saprotrophic fungal (SF) biomass in three Hawaiian soils along a natural soil fertility gradient. Phospholipids16:1ω5c and 18:2ω6,9c were used as an index of AM and saprotrophic fungal biomass, respectively. Both phospholipid analysis and hyphal length indicated that the biomass of AMF was greatest at the highest fertility site, and lowest where phosphorus limits plant growth. Saprotrophic fungal biomass did not vary. Hyphal length counts appeared to under-estimate SF abundance, while the phospholipid AMF:SF ratio was in line with expectations. This study indicates that phospholipids may be a valuable and reliable tool for studying the abundance, distribution, and interactions between AM and saprotrophic fungi in soil.
Highlights
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form extensive mycelia in soil and play a significant role in the functioning of ecosystems (Read, 1991; van der Heijden et al, 1998; Olsson and Wilhelmsson, 2000; van der Heijden et al, 2003)
Methods based on microscopical analysis do not allow any systematic or functional separation of different fungal mycelia, nor reliable separation of dead and live fractions of fungal biomass (Sylvia, 1992)
Chitin is a common biomarker found in saprotrophic fungal (SF) and AMF cell walls (Bethlenfalvay and Ames, 1987)
Summary
Ekenlera aDepartment of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin, 1525 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI, 53706 USA bEcology and Evolutionary Biology and Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697 USA. Received 25 March 2004; received in revised form 9 June 2004; accepted 14 August 2004
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