Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs) play a vital role in ecosystems, especially in ecosystem variability, diversity, and function. Understanding the AMF diversity, distribution, and their driver at different altitudinal gradients is a benefit for understanding the ecological function of AMF in mountain ecosystems. In this study, we explored the AMF molecular diversity and their distribution from 660 to 3,500 m a.s.l. in Mount Taibai of Qinling Mountains based on high-throughput sequencing technology. A total of 702 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in 103 species of AMF are isolated from soil samples, which belong to 18 identified and 1 unidentified genus in 10 families. The fungi in the genus of Glomus is the most dominant, with the occurrence frequency of 100% and the relative abundance of 42.268% and 33.048% on the species and OTU level, respectively. The AMF colonization in root could be simulated by a cubic function with the change of altitudes with the peak and trough at a.s.l. 1,170 and 2,850 m, respectively. Further, AMF diversity indices including Sob, Shannon diversity, and Pielou evenness also showed the same cubic function change trends with increasing altitude at OTU and species levels. However, the average values of diversity indices at OTU level are always higher than these at the species level. Based on the OTU level, the highest and lowest values of Shannon and Pielou indices are observed at the altitudes of 1,400 and 2,800 m, respectively. The pattern of AMF community distribution in Mt. Taibai is driven by altitude with the characteristics of more abundance in the medium- to low-altitude than high-altitude areas. In general, abundant AMF molecular diversity and species exit in different elevations of Mt. Taibai, which indicate gradient changes with elevations.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are among the most ubiquitous soil plant-symbiotic fungi in terrestrial environments and can alleviate the toxic effects of various contaminants on plants. As an essential micronutrient for higher plants, molybdenum (Mo) can cause toxic effects at excess levels. However, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal impacts on plant performance and Mo accumulation under Mo-contamination still require to be explored. We first studied the effects of Claroideoglomus etunicatum BEG168 on plant biomass production and Mo accumulation in a biofuel crop, sweet sorghum, grown in an agricultural soil spiked with different concentrations of MoS2. The results showed that the addition of Mo produced no adverse effects on plant biomass, N and P uptake, and root colonization rate, indicating Mo has no phytotoxicity and fungitoxicity at the test concentrations. The addition of Mo did not increase and even decreased S concentrations in plant tissues. Arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation significantly enhanced plant biomass production and Mo concentrations in both shoots and roots, resulting in increased Mo uptake by mycorrhizal plants. Overall, arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation promoted the absorption of P, N and S by sweet sorghum plants, improved photosystem (PS) II photochemical efficiency and comprehensive photosynthesis performance. In conclusion, MoS2 increased Mo accumulation in plant tissues but produced no toxicity, while arbuscular mycorrhizal inoculation could improve plant performance via enhancing nutrient uptake and photochemical efficiency. Sweet sorghum, together with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, shows a promising potential for phytoremediation of Mo-contaminated farmland and revegetation of Mo-mine disturbed areas, as well as biomass production on such sites.
The legume is notable owing to their symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixing ability. Usually, higher leaf N concentration and N to phosphorus (P) ratio (N:P) in legumes than non-legumes. However, the variations of leaf N, P and N:P and their relationship had been hardly studied based on functional groups. In this study, we studied the leaf N, P and N:P and their relationship among different functional groups. The results showed that the average values of leaf N, P and N:P ratios for all legumes were 27.33 mg g-1, 1.27 mg g-1 and 21.94, respectively. Leaf N (36.96 mg g-1) and P (2.15 mg g-1) of herbaceous legumes are significantly higher than N (24.97 mg g-1) and P (1.18 mg g-1) in woody plants, respectively. Moreover, leaf N, P and N:P of shrub markedly higher than them in tree. Leaf N and P are always higher in deciduous than evergreen legumes. A negative correlation was found between leaf N:P and P in overall and different functional groups of legumes.
The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) is a vital strategy for enhancing the phytoremediation of heavy metals. However, the role of AMF under molybdenum (Mo) stress is elusive. A pot culture experiment was conducted to explore the effects of AMF (Claroideoglomus etunicatum and Rhizophagus intraradices) inoculation on the uptake and transport of Mo and the physiological growth of maize plants under different levels of Mo addition (0, 100, 1000, and 2000 mg/kg). AMF inoculation significantly increased the biomass of maize plants, and the mycorrhizal dependency reached 222% at the Mo addition level of 1000 mg/kg. Additionally, AMF inoculation could induce different growth allocation strategies in response to Mo stress. Inoculation significantly reduced Mo transport, and the active accumulation of Mo in the roots reached 80% after inoculation at the high Mo concentration of 2000 mg/kg. In addition to enhancing the net photosynthetic and pigment content, inoculation also increased the biomass by enhancing the uptake of nutrients, including P, K, Zn, and Cu, to resist Mo stress. In conclusion, C. etunicatum and R. intraradices were tolerant to the Mo stress and could alleviate the Mo-induced phytotoxicity by regulating the allocation of Mo in plants and improving photosynthetic leaf pigment contents and the uptake of nutrition. Compared with C. etunicatum, R. intraradices showed a stronger tolerance to Mo, which was manifested by a stronger inhibition of Mo transport and a higher uptake of nutrient elements. Accordingly, AMF show potential for the bioremediation of Mo-polluted soil.
Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) are the most widely symbiosis in terrestrial ecosystem. Leaf N and P are the most important plant functional traits due to their influence on biogeochemical cycling. However, as the notable nitrogen (N) fixing plants, the variations of leaf N, P and N:P and their relationship among mycorrhizal types had been hardly studied based on functional groups. In this study, we studied the leaf N, P and N:P and their relationship between AM and other mycorrhizal types (others) among different functional groups or climate zones. The results indicated that AM improve significantly leaf N and P, while reduce N:P comparing to others. However, the influences of AM and others on leaf N, P and N:P changed with plant functional groups or climate zone. The relationships between leaf N and P, between N and N:P and between P and N:P also exhibit great variation between AM and Others.
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