Aluminum-mycorrhizal interactions in the physiology of pitch pine seedlings

Aluminum (Al) in the rhizosphere adversely affects plant nutrition and growth. Although many conifer species, and pitch pine (Pinus rigida) in particular, have evolved on acidic soils where soluble Al is often high, controlled environment studies often indicate that Al interferes with seedling growth and nutrient relations. Under normal field conditions, conifer roots grow in a symbiotic relationship with ectomycorrhizal fungi, and this association may modulate the effects of Al on root physiology. To investigate the influence of mycorrhizal infection on Al toxicity, pitch pine seedlings were grown with or without the ectomycorrhizal symbiont Pisolithus tinctorius and were exposed to low levels of Al in sand culture. Aluminum at 50 μM reduced nonmycorrhizal seedling growth and increased foliar Al concentrations, but did not alter photosynthetic gas exchange or other aspects of seedling nutrition. Nonmycorrhizal seedlings exposed to 200 μM Al exhibited decreased growth, increased transpiration rates, decreased water use efficiency, increased foliar Al and Na levels, and reduced foliar P concentrations. Seedlings inoculated with P. tinctorius exhibited unaltered growth, physiological function, and ionic relations when exposed to Al. The fungal symbiont evidently modulated ionic relations in the rhizosphere, reducing Al-P precipitation reactions, Al uptake, and subsequent root and shoot tissue Al exposure.