Assessment of Plant Diversity and Associated Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Mined-out Sites of Atlas Mines in Toledo City, Cebu for Bioremediation

Abstract

The diversity of plant and mycorrhizal fungi within the 35,000-ha of the Atlas Mines in Toledo, Cebu, was surveyed with the goal of rehabilitating their mined-out area through bioremediation (the use of dominant plants and mycorrhizal fungi present in area to contain/reduce pollutants). From five one km transect lines in five sites, the survey indicated that the vegetation was classified as a disturbed grass-shrubland-savanna-agroforest plant community with tree plantations in rehabilitated sites. Plant composition comprised 69 species belonging to 66 genera and 35 families which include trees, shrubs, herbs, creepers, vines, agricultural or agroforest crops. Fruit bodies of ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF), namely: Pisolithus, Scleroderma, Thelephora and Boletellus were found under Acacia auriculiformis, A. mangium, Eucalyptus urophylla and E. camaldulensis. Pisolithus were the most dominant. For arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), out of 50 plants collected, 10-100% roots of Lycopodium, Saccharum spontaneum, Nephrolepsis, Acacia mangium and Stachytarpheta jamaicensis were colonized by AMF. All roots of S. jamaicensis were colonized solely by Glomus sp. Pithecellobium dulce harboured the highest spore density (2,575 spores/plant/30g dry soil), consisting of Glomus (42%), Acaulospora (24%) and Entrophospora (37%). Muntingia calabura was the only plant associated with Glomus, Gigaspora, Scutellospora, Acaulospora and Entrophospora, though with low spore population. Glomus was the most prevalent among the AMF. The above AMF and ECMF can be mass-produced as biofertilizers for use in bioremediation of mined-out sites and other areas with similar conditions.

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and population in UPV Nature Trail, Miagao, Iloilo, Philippines

“…of species) was observed in Acaulospora and Glomus species, which represent the families Acaulosporaceae and Glomeraceae and the orders Diversisporales and Glomerales, respectively. A parallel result was reported by the earlier studies conducted in the Philippines (Aggangan et al 2015;Soriano et al 2021). The generally high abundance of these genera is associated with their tolerance to soil acidity (Tran et al 2019), and ability for easy colonization (Shi et al 2019), propagation, and habitat variability (Öpik et al 2013).…”

“…For identification and classification, the following morphological attributes were used: color, shape, spore wall, and endophytic elements, such as hypha, arbuscules, coils, or vesicles. The morphotype identities of AMF spores were ultimately verified based on existing literature (Aggangan et al 2015;Kamble et al 2018;Islam et al 2022), monographs, the AMF handbook of Souza (2015), and the online database, International Collection of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (INVAM).…”

“…Endomycorrhiza or Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous soil microorganisms that are associated with almost 90% of plant species (Aggangan et al 2015;Fasusi et al 2021). This group of fungi belongs to phylum Glomeromycota which is characterized by finely branched hyphal structures, called arbuscules or hyphal coils, that colonize the cortical cells of plant roots (Pagano et al 2016).…”