Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities Are Influenced by Host Tree Species on the Loess Plateau, Northwest China

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can establish mutualistic symbioses with most terrestrial plants and therefore play a crucial role in the re-vegetation and rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems. Yet, little information is available on AM fungal communities associated with dominant tree species in the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau, Northwest China. In this study, topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) samples were collected from the rhizosphere of five dominant tree species in northern Shaanxi Province, to investigate the distribution and diversity of their associated AM fungi. The tree species were Hippophae rhamnoides Linn., Juniperus communis L., Populus cathayana Rehd., Robinia pseudoacacia L., and Salix matsudana Koidz. In total, 24 AM fungal species of eight genera were isolated from the rhizosphere soil samples and identified based on their spore morphology. Funneliformis and Funneliformis monosporum were respectively the most abundant genus and species of AM fungi. The distribution and diversity of AM fungi differed among the five tree species and also between the two soil depths. Across different tree species, the spore density of AM fungi varied from 2.85 to 15.32 spores g−1 fresh soil, with a species richness of 3–7, Shannon–Wiener index of 0.81–1.08, and evenness index of 0.30–0.53. The mycorrhizal colonization rate had a significant negative correlation with both the Shannon-Wiener index and species richness, whereas it was positively correlated with the evenness index. Permutational multivariate analysis of variance, non-metric multidimensional scaling, and structural equation modeling revealed that tree species, rather than soil depth or its interactions with tree species, had significant effects on the composition of AM fungal communities. In conclusion, the distribution and diversity of AM fungi associated with the dominant tree species were mainly affected by host tree species identity in the semi-arid ecosystem. Claroideoglomus etunicatum (W.N. Becker & Gerdemann) C. Walker & A. Schüßler and Glomus reticulatum Bhattacharjee & Mukerji appeared to be promising candidates for ecological restoration in the Loess Plateau region because of their adaptation to its semi-arid conditions with a broad spectrum of host tree species.

Evaluation of Changes in Glomalin-Related Soil Proteins (GRSP) Content, Microbial Diversity and Physical Properties Depending on the Type of Soil as the Important Biotic Determinants of Soil Quality

“…Therefore, with such a small amount taken for testing in the sequencing of the ITS variable region for fungi in the NGS method, it could happen that this material has not been amplified. Similar results in AMF spores were obtained by authors of other papers [46][47][48]. Therefore, the results obtained by us are all the more valuable because both a modern research method (NGS in paper Grz ądziel and Gał ązka [11]) and traditional methods of counting AMF spores were used in the present study.…”

“…The European Parliament resolution (EP Resolution 2007) lists among the main threats to the proper functioning of soils a decrease in the content of OM, because its loss can cause many adverse phenomena associated with the disturbance of chemical, physical and biological processes that directly affect the quality of soil and its fertility [46][47][48][49][50]. Among the 8 types of analyzed soils, Gleyic Phaeozem, as a soil rich in organic matter, is the most sensitive to.…”

Mycorrhizal Colonization Enhanced Sorghum bicolor Tolerance under Soil Water Deficit Conditions by Coordination of Proline and Reduced Glutathione (GSH)

“…identified a total of 26 AMF species in the root zone of S. flavescens , which belong to 10 genera of AMF . The occurrence of AMF in the rhizosphere soils or within roots depends on the production of volatile substances by roots that attract AMF species, environmental factors, certain host preferences, physiological differences between the species, and cultural practices and vegetation in the locality. − Also, many studies reported that AMF distribution is dependent on the influence of certain environmental factors such as organic carbon, total nitrogen, soil pH, moisture, and available nutrients in the soil…”

Efforts of Indigenous Knowledge in Forest and Wildlife Conservation: A Case Study on Bulang People in Mangba Village in Yunnan Province, China

“…Many ecological conservation projects implemented in China restore the ecosystem and biodiversity based on scientific calculations and measurements. Many scholars have systematically evaluated them from the perspective of scientific knowledge [36,37]. However, in the early stages of this process, mainstream research believed that indigenous knowledge was unimportant, leading to a trend of marginalization of indigenous knowledge [38][39][40].…”