High compatibility between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and seedlings of different land use types in a tropical dry ecosystem

Abstract

We conducted this study to explore limitations for the establishment of mycorrhizal associations in disturbed areas of the tropical dry ecosystem in the Chamela region of Jalisco, Mexico. Specifically, we: (1) assessed the diversity and composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities through spore morphospecies identification in three common land uses (primary forest, secondary forest, and pasture), (2) tested the inoculum potential of the AMF communities and the effect of water stress on the establishment of mycorrhizal associations in seedlings of various plant species, and (3) explored the importance of AMF community composition on early seedling development. Soil and root samples were taken from 15 random points in each of three plots established in two primary forests, two 26-year-old secondary forests, and two 26-year-old pastures. We expected that because of soil degradation and management, pastures would have the lowest and primary forests the highest AMF species richness. We found evidence for changes in AMF species composition due to land use and for higher morphospecies richness in primary forests than in secondary forests and pastures. We expected also that water stress limited plant and mycorrhizal development and that plants and AMF communities from secondary forests and pastures would be less affected by (better adapted to) water stress than those from the primary forest. We found that although all plant species showed biomass reductions under water stress, only some of the plant species had lower mycorrhizal development under water stress, and this was regardless of the AMF community inoculated. The third hypothesis was that plant species common to all land use types would respond similarly to all AMF communities, whereas plant species found mainly in one land use type would grow better when inoculated with the AMF community of that specific land use type. All plant species were however equally responsive to the three AMF communities inoculated, indicating that all plants established functionally compatible AMF in each community, with no preferences. The results suggest that early seedling growth and mycorrhizal development in secondary forests and pastures is not likely limited by diversity, quantity, or quality of mycorrhizal propagules but by the high temperature and water stress conditions prevailing at those sites.

Effectiveness of native arbuscular mycorrhiza on the growth of four tree forest species from the Santa Marta Mountain, Veracruz (Mexico)

“…Rodríguez et al (2002) demonstrated that AMF diminishing both leaching and fixation of nutrients, as well as reducing soil erosion since AMF hyphae allow better uptake and mobilization of nutriments to the host, and favour soil aggregation. The symbiotic performance on plant host is equally influenced by hydric status of soil and light availability (Gavito et al, 2008;Shukla et al, 2008).…”

“…However, several authors agree on the advantages that the AMF inoculation provides on improving root growth, increasing plant survival, reducing the time plants spend in nursery, reducing cost production due to reduction of fertilizer applications, as well as increasing plant quality (Gehring & Connell, 2005;Allen et al, 2003;Hernández & Salas, 2009). Other advantages of AMF inoculation are related to the increase of photosynthetic rate during acclimatization and development of micro-propagated plants, the induction of drought resistance, and the protection of roots against pathogen attack (Ferrera-Cerrato & Alarcón, 2004;Gavito et al, 2008;Shukla et al, 2008).…”

“…In this area it has been estimated that 75% of the original forest resources have already disappeared; and the remaining 20% is denoted by isolated fragments or as cornfield, shade coffee agroecosystems or grasslands (Castillo-Campos & Laborde, 2006). Soil loss is estimated between 20 to 6,284 ton ha -1 yr -1 (Ávila-Bello et al, 2012), and the later may also affect AMF diversity (Cuenca et al, 1998;Gavito et al, 2008). The ecological value of Los Tuxtlas Biosphere Reserve lies on being the place where the Huazuntlán River originates.…”

Caracterización basada en morfotipos de las comunidades de hongos micorrízicos arbusculares en un bosque seco tropical restaurado, Isla de Margarita-Venezuela

“…This result is similar to the richness reported for other tropical dry ecosystems during different successional stages. Gavito et al (2008) identified a total of 39 AMF species in primary forest, secondary forest and pastures in dry forest ecosystems in the Chamela region, Jalisco state, Mexico. A large number of AMF species (61) have also been reported from other tropical ecosystems encompassing pristine forest, young and old secondary forest, agroforestry systems, croplands and pasture (Stürmer & Siqueira, 2011).…”

“…Other studies have assessed the effects of different types of disturbance on the mycorrhizal status of native tree species in a tropical deciduous forest (Allen, Rincon, Allen, Pérez-Jimenez, & Huante, 1998) or have explored the limitations for the establishment of mycorrhizal associations in disturbed tropical dry ecosystems (Gavito, Pérez-Castillo, González-Monterrubio, Vieyra-Hernández, & Martínez-Trujillo, 2008). Additionally, Camargo-Ricalde, Dhillion, & Jiménez-González, (2003) evaluated the mycorrhizal status of perennial xeric plant species occurring in an arid tropical shrub and tropical deciduous forest; Guadarrama, Castillo-Arguero, Ramos-Zapata, CamargoRicalde and Álvarez-Sánchez (2008) determined the mycorrhizal inoculum potential of the soil under secondary vegetation at different stages of development, and Leal, Siqueira and Stürmer (2013) evaluated how AMF community composition was affected by conversion of tropical amazon forest to pasture.…”