The role of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the early-stage restoration of seasonally dry tropical forest in Chamela, Mexico

Abstract

-It was evaluated the effect of two different sources of local inocula from two contrasting sites (mature forest, pasture) of arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) and a non-mycorrhizal control on the plant growth of six woody species differing in functional characteristics (slow-, intermediate-and fast-growth), when introduced in a seasonally tropical dry forest (STDF) converted into abandoned pasture. Six plots (12 X 12m) were set as AMF inoculum source. Six replicates of six different species arranged in a Latin Square design were set in each plot. Plant height, cover area and the number of leaves produced by individual plant was measured monthly during the first growing season in each treatment. Species differed in their ability to benefit from AMF and the largest responsiveness in plant height and leaf production was exhibited by the slow-growing species Swietenia humilis, Hintonia latiflora and Cordia alliodora. At the end of the growing season (November), the plant height of the fast growing species Tabebuia donnel-smithii, Ceiba pentandra and Guazuma ulmifolia were not influenced by AMF. However, inocula of AMF increased leaf production of all plant species regardless the functional characteristics of the species, suggesting a better exploitation of above-ground space and generating a light limited environment under the canopy, which contributed to pasture suppression. Inoculation of seedlings planted in abandoned pasture areas is recommended for ecological restoration due to the high responsiveness of seedling growth in most of species. Use of forest inoculum with its higher diversity of AMF could accelerate the ecological restoration of the above and below-ground comunities.

In Vitro Development of Yellow Lapacho (Bignoniaceae) Using High-Power Light Emitting Diode

“…In adition, it suffers from irregular reproduction linked to unseasonal frosts and its seeds are depredated by insects. which may remove up to 95% of total production (Justiniano et al, 2000;Apóstolo et al, 2016).The agricultural frontier expansion and climatic changes have led to a reduction of the natural populations and motivated researchers to use biotechnological methods, such as micropropagation and mycorrhizal inoculation, to increase Handroanthus and Tabebuia species mass propagation (Silva, 2004;Huante et al, 2012;Larraburu and Llorente, 2015;Llorente et al, 2016).…”

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with the rhizosphere of seedlings and mature trees of Swietenia macrophylla (Magnoliophyta: Meliaceae) in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

“…In tropical ecosystems there is a great diversity of AMF, but studies of AMF in these ecosystems are scarce compared to temperate ecosystems or agroecosystems; additionally the characteristics of AMF found in tropical zones do not fit species previously described in the literature (Lovera and Cuenca 2007). Positive results in terms of growth have been reported by Huante et al (2012) in a species similar to mahogany, Swietenia humilis, following inoculation with AMF. Knowledge of the structure and function of AMF communities is an important factor to be considered in the management of this biotic resource so that it can be integrated into future environmental restoration activities, especially in degraded tropical regions where the availability of nutrients such as phosphorus is a limiting factor in plant growth.…”

Inoculum production of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi native to soils under different forest covers

“…In comparison with the commercial inoculant, it has a low cost, higher taxonomic diversity, and the use of locally adapted species (Schwartz et al, 2006;Douds Jr. et al, 2010), which increases the chances of positive effects on the plant (Klironomos, 2003) and avoid the introduction of exotic species (Ijdo et al, 2011). The use of AMF inoculant produced from the forest soil is the most reliable and recommended method because of its high species diversity, the potential to accelerate the ecological restoration of the soil environment and to promote the germination and growth of the plants (Klironomos, 2003;Huante et al, 2012;Paluch et al, 2013).…”