Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and vascular plant species abundance and community structure in tallgrass prairies with varying agricultural disturbance histories

作者：Stover Holly J^*; Thorn R Greg; Bowles Jane M; Bernards Mark A; Jacobs Clint R

来源：Applied Soil Ecology, 2012, 60: 61-70.

DOI：10.1016/j.apsoil.2012.02.016

• Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi
• Tallgrass prairie
• Agricultural disturbance
• Fatty acid methyl ester analysis

Tallgrass prairie is one of the most critically endangered habitats in Canada, with less than one percent of its original extent remaining. Information on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Canadian prairie, which may be beneficial to tallgrass prairie restoration, is lacking. We conducted a descriptive ecological study of the communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and vascular plants at five former or extant tallgrass prairie sites on Walpole Island First Nation, Ontario: one undisturbed prairie, two naturally recovered prairies and two old fields abandoned from agriculture 19 and 3 years ago, respectively. The AM F were identified morphologically using spores from trap cultured soil samples, and the number of spores of each taxon was used as an estimate of their abundance. We performed ester linked extraction and measured fungal lipid biomarkers to assay the biomass of AMF. Sixteen species of AMF and 111 plant species were identified. Species composition, richness and diversity of both AMF and plants varied among sites. Principal component analysis distinguished fungal and plant communities at tallgrass prairie sites from those at more recently disturbed fields. However, AMF biomass, as assessed by the concentration of the fatty acid methyl esters C16:1cis11 and C18:1cis11, was not significantly different between old fields and tallgrass prairie. Community composition of AMF was a better indicator of agricultural disturbance than AMF abundance, species richness, or biomass. Therefore, if AMF play an important role in the reestablishment of tallgrass prairie plant species, it is most likely through plant host specificity with particular species or taxonomic groups in the AMF community.

• 出版日期2012-9