The role of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the growth of Calamagrostis villosa and Deschampsia flexuosa, in experiments with simulated acid rain

A series of microcosm experiments was established to investigate the effects of simulated acid rain on the capacity of three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) to germinate and colonize two grasses, Calamagrostis villosa and Deschampsia flexuosa. These two grasses are normally found in degraded Norway spruce forests in the Northern Czech Republic where acid rain pollution exists and C. villosa initially outcompetes D. flexuosa for the same niche. An AM fungus isolated from acid soils (Acaulospora tuberculata BEG41) was more tolerant of acidification than two species of Glomus (isolated from agricultural soils of neutral pH) in microcosm studies. Different effects of simulated acid rain (SAR) were found at all stages of the development of three AMF studied in model systems, including spore germination, colonization of host roots, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and NADH diaphorase activity of the extraradical mycelium. No ALP activity was found in hyphae germinating from the spores without plants whereas it was detected in all hyphae linked to a functioning intraradical mycelium.Simulated acid rain also affected the mycorrhizal growth response and belowground competition of the two grasses. Disturbance of the ERM between the two plant species significantly reduced the growth of C. villosa but not D. flexuosa. Disturbance also decreased root colonization by AMF of both plants, the total length of ERM and the total length of extraradical hyphae with ALP and NADH diaphorase activity adjacent to both plants. D. flexuosa appeared less dependent on the mycorrhizal state, for shoot and root growth, than C. villosa under the experimental conditions. The ability, therefore, of C. villosa to thrive in forest stands suffering from acid rain pollution may be related to this dependence on its mycorrhizal hyphal links to D. flexuosa under the environmental conditions produced by the pollution including higher light levels.     

西双版纳热带雨林中丛枝菌根真菌的初步研究*

对西双版纳热带雨林中30个科的42种植物根系的丛枝菌根真菌定居情况进行了调查,并从这些植物的根际土壤中分离鉴定了分属于无梗囊霉属(Acaulospora)、球囊霉属(Glomus)和硬囊霉属(Sclerocystis)的25种丛枝菌根真菌。对热带雨林土壤中丛枝菌根真菌的孢子密度（spore density）、物种丰富度（species richness）以及已鉴定种的出现频率进行统计分析发现：热带雨林土壤中丛枝菌根真菌的孢子密度在每100g土壤116~1560个之间,平均478个;物种丰富度在2~7之间,平均为4.5;无梗囊霉属和球囊霉属真菌是热带雨林土壤中丛枝菌根真菌的优势类群。     

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

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.     

Small Canopy Gaps Influence Plant Distributions in the Rain Forest Understory1

This study tested three hypotheses regarding how plants respond to the spatial heterogeneity in light availability in the rain forest understory: (1) understory plants occur preferentially in the lighter parts of the understory; (2) under–story palms are more shade tolerant than other understory plants; (3) rain forest plants differ in their ontogenetic response to understory light conditions. The study was carried out in old–growth rain forest in the Yasuní National Park, Amazonian Ecuador. The hypotheses were tested by comparing the distributions of 20 plant species (1454 individuals) over microsites with differing degrees of exposure to canopy gaps to the background distribution of these microsites in the forest. The gap exposure of a given microsite was described by an index based on the number and size of gaps in the canopy to which the site was exposed. Two plant height classes were studied: 0.80–2.49 and 2.50–5 m. The first and third hypotheses were accepted, while the second hypothesis was rejected. The results for the individual species corresponded well with what is known from earlier studies about the ecology of these species or close relatives, suggesting that the patterns observed can be generalized for Neotropical rain forests. Notably, the most abundant species in the study represent several different life history strategies. Thus, abundance in the rain forest understory can be achieved by several different strategies. This suggests that niche differentiation in terms of response to small changes in understory light conditions may be an important factor in the maintenance of the high local plant species richness of tropical rain forests.     

Influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization on whole‐plant respiration and thermal acclimation of tropical tree seedlings

Symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are ubiquitous in tropical forests. AMF play a role in the forest carbon cycle because they can increase nutrient acquisition and biomass of host plants, but also incur a carbon cost to the plant. Through their interactions with their host plants they have the potential to affect how plants respond to environmental perturbation such as global warming. Our objective was to experimentally determine how plant respiration rates and responses to warmer environment are affected by AMF colonization in seedlings of five tropical tree species at the whole plant level. We evaluated the interaction between AMF colonization and temperature on plant respiration against four possible outcomes; acclimation does or does not occur regardless of AMF, or AMF can increase or decrease respiratory acclimation. Seedlings were inoculated with AMF spores or sterilized inoculum and grown at ambient or elevated nighttime temperature. We measured whole plant and belowground respiration rates, as well as plant growth and biomass allocation. There was an overall increase in whole plant, root, and shoot respiration rate with AMF colonization, whereas temperature acclimation varied among species, showing support for three of the four possible responses. The influence of AMF colonization on growth and allocation also varied among plant species. This study shows that the effect of AMF colonization on acclimation differs among plant species. Given the cosmopolitan nature of AMF and the importance of plant acclimation for predicting climate feedbacks a better understanding of the patterns and mechanisms of acclimation is essential for improving predictions of how climate warming may influence vegetation feedbacks.     

论季雨林的水平地带性

季雨林是受制于湿度因子的经度地带性植被类型,它是随着湿度条件的下降由热带雨林向热带疏林过渡的居间类型,而不是受制于温度因子的纬度地带性植被类型,不是随着温度条件的下降由热带雨林向亚热带常绿阔叶林过渡的居间类型。我国南亚热带的榕树群系、黄桐群系,以及热带北缘的青皮群系均不应是季雨林,前二者是典型的南亚热带低地常绿阔叶林或南亚热带雨林,后者则是热带雨林的一分类群。     

Geological History,Flora, and Vegetation of Xishuangbanna,Southern Yunnan,China1

Xishuangbanna of southern Yunnan is biogeographically located at a transitional zone from tropical Southeast (SE) Asia to subtropical East Asia, and is at the junction of the Indian and Burmese plates of Gondwana and the Eurasian plate of Laurasia. The flora of the region consists of a recorded 3336 native seed plant species, belonging to 1140 genera in 197 families, among which 83.5 percent are tropical genera and 32.8 percent are endemic to tropical Asia, suggesting a strong affinity to tropical Asian flora. The vegetation of Xishuangbanna is organized into four forest types: tropical rain forest, tropical seasonal moist forest, tropical montane evergreen broad‐leaved forest, and tropical monsoon forest. The tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna has the same floristic composition of families and genera as some lowland equatorial rain forests in SE Asia, and is dominated (with a few exceptions) by the same families both in species richness and stem dominance. The exceptions include some deciduous trees in the canopy layer, fewer megaphanerophytes and epiphytes, and a higher abundance of lianas and microphyllic plants. We consider the tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna as a type of tropical Asian rain forest, based on their conspicuous similarities in ecological and floristic characteristics.     

Mycorrhiza of Brazil Pine (Araucaria angustifolia [Bert. O. Ktze.])

Abstract: Tropical and subtropical forests once covered large areas of Central and South America. An important member of forests of the southern hemisphere is the genus Araucaria. Because of clear cutting only small remnants of Araucaria angustifolia forests still exist in Southern Brazil. Attempts at reforestation have had only limited success because of lack of knowledge about the environmental requirements of this species. This is especially true with respect to the root/fungus symbiosis (mycorrhiza) which is necessary for enhanced water and nutrient uptake and present in more than 90 % of land plants. Analysis of the root systems of Araucaria trees from forest and grassland (campo) sites revealed mycorrhizal structures (appressoria, penetration and coiled hyphae, vesicles, arbuscules, spores) which are characteristic for the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) type. The spores of AM fungi at both sites - forest and campo - were identified. The biodiversity at the forest site was much higher, with 13 species, whereas only 6 different species could be identified at the campo site. Glomus and Acaulospora were the only genera present at the campo. The forest, however, also contained spores of Entrophospora and Scutellospora. In addition to the greater biodiversity, the spore number in soil as well as the percent mycorrhizal colonization in roots were significantly higher at the forest site than at the campo site. Because of the low frequency of hyphal coils and the dominating intercellular growth of hyphae, these mycorrhizas can be classified as an Arum -type, which is the first report of this kind in gymnosperms.     

Effects of Alliaria petiolata (garlic mustard; Brassicaceae) on mycorrhizal colonization and community structure in three herbaceous plants in a mixed deciduous forest

Herbaceous plant species are important components of forest ecosystems, and their persistence in forests may be affected by invasive plant species that reduce mycorrhizal colonization of plant roots. I examined the effect of the invasive plant Alliaria petiolata on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonizing the roots of three forest plant species. AMF root colonization and community structure was examined from plants that were growing either in the absence or presence of Alliaria under natural forest conditions. AMF root colonization varied among the plant species but was not significantly affected by Alliaria. With molecular methods, ～12 different taxa of AMF could be distinguished among the root samples, and these taxa belonged to the genera Acaulospora and Glomus, with Glomus dominating AMF communities. There were significant differences between the community of AMF colonizing roots of Maianthemum racemosum and Trillium grandiflorum, but only AMF communities of Maianthemum roots were significantly affected by Alliaria. Indicator species analysis found that an Acaulospora species type was a significant indicator of Maianthemum plants grown in the absence of Alliaria. These results suggest invasive plants like Alliaria may selectively suppress AMF fungi, and this suppression can affect AMF communities colonizing the roots of some native plant species.     

不同林龄杉木人工林菌根侵染特征研究

丛枝菌根真菌是一种通过土壤侵染植物根系,与寄主植物互利共生的重要有益真菌。探究不同林龄杉木林中菌根侵染状况与土壤养分的变化规律,有利于深入认识丛枝菌根真菌—杉木相互作用的养分调控因素,从而为改善杉木人工林土壤肥力、促进杉木林可持续经营提供依据。分别选取10a、25a、45a杉木纯林,分析了不同林分菌根侵染率与孢子密度及部分土壤养分因子(全磷、速效磷、全钾、速效钾)的关系。结果表明:(1)菌根侵染率与孢子密度均呈现出随林龄增大而增大的趋势,pH随林龄增大而减少的趋势;(2)根际土中磷的含量总体偏低,而且受到土壤酸化流失和丛枝菌根真菌积累的双重影响呈现出先减少后增加的趋势;(3)虽然有效钾含量随林龄变化趋势不显著,但丛枝菌根真菌能促进土壤钾的积累。因此,丛枝菌根真菌能有效调控根际土的养分动力学特征,减缓土壤酸化造成的养分流失。     

海南霸王岭热带雨林常见植物丛枝菌根真菌调查

对海南霸王岭热带雨林的12科16种常见植物的丛枝菌根状况进行了调查,用碱解离-酸性品红染色法进行了真菌鉴定。结果表明,13种植物形成典型的丛枝菌根,占所调查植物的81%;3种植物没有形成丛枝菌根,占所调查植物的19%。用湿筛沉淀法从这些植物根际土壤中共分离鉴定出了3属11种丛枝菌根真菌(AMF),即无梗囊霉属(Acaulos-pora)3种,球囊霉属(Glomus)7种,巨孢囊霉属(Gigaspora)1种;其中,球囊霉属是样地的优势属。在AMF中,孔窝无梗囊霉(A.foveata)分离频率最高,在14种植物的根际土中都有发现;此外,大果球囊霉(G.macrocarpum)的相对多度最大,为59%,具有最强的产孢能力。同时,在11种植物的根中发现了深色有隔内生真菌(DSE),占调查植物的69%;其中,11种植物同时被DSE和AMF感染。     

大兴安岭落叶松林丛枝菌根真菌多样性

对大兴安岭落叶松林17个科26种植物丛枝菌根(AM)定居情况和丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)多样性进行了调查。在26种植物根样中形成典型AM定居的有23种,占88.46%。菌根侵染率为0～78.7%,平均为21.69%。在26种植物根样中,4种植物形成重楼型(Par-is-type)AM,占15.38%;10种植物形成疆南星型(Arum-type)AM,占38.46%;9种植物形成中间型(Intermediatetype)AM,占34.62%,3种植物未能形成AM菌根,占11.54%。从23种植物根围土样中分离到50种AMF,分属于5个属,其中无梗囊霉属(Acaulospora)24种占48%;球囊霉属(Glomus)19种占38%;内养囊霉属(Entrophospora)5种占10%;原囊霉属(Archaeospora)1种占2%;巨孢囊霉属(Gigaspora)1种占2%。Acaulospora和Glomus2属真菌在大兴安岭落叶松林土壤中占绝对优势;尼氏无梗囊霉(A.nocolsonii)和幼套球囊霉(G.etunicatum)是优势种。植物根围土壤中AMF的孢子密度平均为68.94个.100g-1风干土;AM...     

西双版纳四种壳斗科植物丛枝菌根状况的初步研究

研究了西双版纳热带次生林中杯丝锥(Castanopsis calathiformis)、红锥(C.hys-trix)、印度锥(C.indica)和截果柯(Lithocarpus truncatus)4种壳斗科植物的丛枝菌根真菌(arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF)的侵染状况,并从这些植物的根际土壤中分离鉴定了隶属于球囊霉属(Glomus)、巨孢囊霉属(Gigaspora)、盾巨孢囊霉属(Scutellospora)和无梗囊霉属(Acaulospora)的10种丛枝菌根真菌。这4种壳斗科植物根际AMF的孢子密度为14~22个.100g-1土壤,种的丰富度在4~7,平均频度为60.00%,相对多度为4.41%~22.06%,丛枝菌根真菌的定居水平达46.26%~51.40%。     

广州地区7种菊科入侵植物丛枝菌根侵染和根际土壤孢子密度的生境差异性分析

为了解广州地区7种菊科(Compositae)入侵植物与丛枝菌根真菌(Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF)的互作共生关系,调查了这7种菊科入侵植物在4种生境中的AMF侵染和根际土壤孢子密度,并分析土壤因子对AMF的影响。结果表明,7种入侵植物根内均受到AMF侵染,根际土壤中均检测到AMF孢子;AMF侵染在宿主间差异显著,生境间的差异不显著;孢子密度在生境和宿主间的差异均显著,人工绿地、农田果园的AMF孢子密度均显著高于森林周边和滨海地带。相关性分析表明,农田果园生境的根际土壤孢子密度与土壤有机质含量呈显著负相关关系;森林周边生境的AMF总侵染率与土壤全氮呈极显著正相关关系;人工绿地的AMF总侵染率与土壤速效氮含量呈显著负相关关系;滨海地带的AMF总侵染率与土壤有效磷含量呈显著负相关关系。这些对理解菊科植物入侵机理具有非常重要的作用。     

西双版纳热带次生林中的丛枝菌根调查

对西双版纳热带次生林中13个科的26种植物根系的丛枝菌根真菌（Arbuscular mycorrhizal fongii,AMF）侵染情况进行了研究,并从这些植物的根围土壤中分离鉴定了隶属于球囊霉属（Clomus）、巨孢囊霉属（Gigaspora）、盾巨孢囊霉属（Scutellospora）和无梗囊霉属（Acaulospora）的11种丛枝菌根真菌。该地次生林中AMF的孢子密度为13—29个／100g土壤,平均为19个;种的丰富度在4．9之间（平均为6）;平均频度为53．8％;相对多度为3．2％-26．5％;物种多样性指数和均匀度指数分别为0．94和0．93。丛枝菌根的侵染率达到44．8％．57．2％（平均为50．9％）;球囊霉属（Glomus）和无梗囊霉属（Acattlospora）是热带次生林根围土壤中菌根真菌的优势类群。     

西双版纳热带雨林与海南热带雨林的比较研究

西双版纳的热带雨林与海南低地热带雨林和热带季雨林有基本一致的植物区系组成,群落中优势科无论在种数百分比还是重要值排名上均较接近,显然属于同样性质的植物区系。在生态特征上,西双版纳热带雨林群落高大,分层不明显,B层为林冠层,散生巨树常见,在生活型谱上以高位芽植物占绝对优势,大、中高位芽植物相对较多,落叶树种比例小;以中叶、纸质,全缘和复叶比例较高为特征,具有最接近海南低地湿润雨林的群落垂直结构和生态外貌,其雨林特点虽不如湿润雨林浓厚,但明显强于海南的热带常绿季雨林和山地雨林,海南常绿季雨林群落高度明显较矮,小叶比例通常较高,革质叶比例亦较高,群落具遥明显的旱生特点,海南的山地雨林群落高度较矮,A层连续,成为林冠,无散生巨树,分层明显,在生活型谱上大高位芽植物比例减少,附生植物丰富,并具有相当比例的地面芽植物;叶级虽以中叶占优势,但通常革质,非全缘和单叶比例较高,明显由于热量不足的影响而带有亚热带森林特色,在物种多样性上,西双版纳热带雨林的乔木物种多样性指数似乎与海南的低地热带雨林相当,低于海南的山地雨林群落,海南的热带雨林群落种类丰富度不同人研究的结果差异较大,如果这些用于比较的数据可靠和具有可比性的话,西双版纳热带雨林的物种多样性要比海南的山地雨林低。     

Phylogenetic relatedness explains highly interconnected and nested symbiotic networks of woody plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a Chinese subtropical forest

Elucidating symbiotic relationships between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and plants contributes to a better understanding of their reciprocally dependent coexistence and community assembly. However, the main drivers of plant and AMF community assembly remain unclear. In this study, we examined AMF communities from 166 root samples of 17 woody plant species from 10 quadrats in a Chinese subtropical forest using 454 pyrosequencing of 18S rRNA gene to describe symbiotic AMF–plant association. Our results show the woody plant–AMF networks to be highly interconnected and nested, but in antimodular and antispecialized manners. The nonrandom pattern in the woody plant–AMF network was explained by plant and AMF phylogenies, with a tendency for a stronger phylogenetic signal by plant than AMF phylogeny. This study suggests that the phylogenetic niche conservatism in woody plants and their AMF symbionts could contribute to interdependent AMF and plant community assembly in this subtropical forest ecosystem.     

Terrestrial vertebrates promote arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity and inoculum potential in a rain forest soil

We examined whether terrestrial vertebrates affected the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore communities and mycorrhizal inoculum potential (MIP) of a tropical rain forest soil by comparing plots where terrestrial vertebrates had been excluded for 3 years to adjacent control plots. We extracted spores from soil using sucrose density gradient centrifugation and assayed MIP by growing seedlings of maize ( Zea mays ) and a rain forest tree ( Flindersia brayleana ) in intact soil cores from exclosure and control plots. Control plots had significantly higher spore abundance, species richness and diversity than exclosures. Spore community composition also differed significantly between exclosure and control plots. Seedlings of both plant species grown in control cores had significantly higher arbuscular-mycorrhizal colonization than those grown in exclosure cores. This study suggests that loss of vertebrates could alter rates of mycorrhizal colonization with consequences for community and ecosystem properties.     

Contrasting demographics of tropical savanna and temperate forest eucalypts provide insight into how savannas and forests function. A case study using Corymbia clarksoniana from north‐eastern Australia

Eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp. and Corymbia spp.) dominate many communities across Australia, including frequently burnt tropical savannas and temperate forests, which receive less frequent but more intense fires. Understanding the demographic characteristics that allow related trees to persist in tropical savannas and temperate forest ecosystems can provide insight into how savannas and forests function, including grass–tree coexistence. This study reviews differences in critical stages in the life cycle of savanna and temperate forest eucalypts, especially in relation to fire. It adds to the limited data on tropical eucalypts, by evaluating the effect of fire regimes on the population biology of Corymbia clarksoniana, a tree that dominates some tropical savannas of north‐eastern Australia. Corymbia clarksoniana displays similar demographic characteristics to other tropical savanna species, except that seedling emergence is enhanced when seed falls onto recently burnt ground during a high rainfall period. In contrast to many temperate forest eucalypts, tropical savanna eucalypts lack canopy‐stored seed banks; time annual seed fall to coincide with the onset of predictable wet season rain; have very rare seedling emergence events, including a lack of mass germination after each fire; possess an abundant sapling bank; and every tropical eucalypt species has the ability to maintain canopy structure by epicormically resprouting after all but the most intense fires. The combination of poor seedling recruitment strategies, coupled with characteristics allowing long‐term persistence of established plants, indicate tropical savanna eucalypts function through the persistence niche rather than the regeneration niche. The high rainfall‐promoted seedling emergence of C. clarksoniana and the reduction of seedling survival and sapling growth by fire, support the predictions that grass–tree coexistence in savannas is governed by rainfall limiting tree seedling recruitment and regular fires limiting the growth of juvenile trees to the canopy.     

Phylogenetic Structure of Tree Species across Different Life Stages from Seedlings to Canopy Trees in a Subtropical Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forest

Investigating patterns of phylogenetic structure across different life stages of tree species in forests is crucial to understanding forest community assembly, and investigating forest gap influence on the phylogenetic structure of forest regeneration is necessary for understanding forest community assembly. Here, we examine the phylogenetic structure of tree species across life stages from seedlings to canopy trees, as well as forest gap influence on the phylogenetic structure of forest regeneration in a forest of the subtropical region in China. We investigate changes in phylogenetic relatedness (measured as NRI) of tree species from seedlings, saplings, treelets to canopy trees; we compare the phylogenetic turnover (measured as β_NRI) between canopy trees and seedlings in forest understory with that between canopy trees and seedlings in forest gaps. We found that phylogenetic relatedness generally increases from seedlings through saplings and treelets up to canopy trees, and that phylogenetic relatedness does not differ between seedlings in forest understory and those in forest gaps, but phylogenetic turnover between canopy trees and seedlings in forest understory is lower than that between canopy trees and seedlings in forest gaps. We conclude that tree species tend to be more closely related from seedling to canopy layers, and that forest gaps alter the seedling phylogenetic turnover of the studied forest. It is likely that the increasing trend of phylogenetic clustering as tree stem size increases observed in this subtropical forest is primarily driven by abiotic filtering processes, which select a set of closely related evergreen broad-leaved tree species whose regeneration has adapted to the closed canopy environments of the subtropical forest developed under the regional monsoon climate.