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The symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and mangrove plant species was investigated in two mangrove swamps in south China. AMF were mostly found in the form of hyphae and were commonly associated with all the mangrove species we investigated. Six AMF species belonging to the genera Glomus or Acaulospora were identified. Multiple step-wise linear regression analyses showed that hydrological conditions and phosphorus levels in the rhizosphere were the main abiotic factors affecting the colonization of mangrove species by AMF. A greenhouse experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of AMF inoculation on the growth and nutrient uptake of a true mangrove plant species, Sonneratia apetala B. Ham. The inoculated AMF significantly improved growth, resulting in greater plant height, diameter at ground level and plant biomass, as well as increased absorption of N, P and K. These findings suggest that AMF play important roles in mangrove ecosystems.

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