The aim of this study was to analyze the performance of
Acaena elongata colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal
fungi (AMF) to different phosphorus (P) concentrations, as a measure of AMF dependency.
A. elongata, is a species from soils where P availability is limited, such as temperate forests. Our research questions were: 1) How do
different P concentrations affect the AMF association in
Acaena elongata, and 2) How does the AMF association
influence
A. elongata’s growth under different P concentrations?
A. elongata’s growth, P content in plant tissue,
AMF colonization and dependency were measured under four P concentrations: control (0 g P kg
−1
), low
(0.05 g P kg
−1
), intermediate (0.2 g P kg
−1
) and high (2 g P kg
−1
) in different harvests. A complete randomized
block design was applied.
A. elongata’s growth was higher under -AMF in intermediate and high P concentrations, and the lowest growth corresponded to +AMF in the low and intermediate P concentration. We observed
a negative effect on the root biomass under +AMF in intermediate P concentration, while the P concentration had
a positive effect on the leaf area ratio. The AMF colonization in
A. elongata decreased in the highest P concentration and it was favored under intermediate P concentration; while the low and the high concentrations generated a cost-benefit imbalance. Our results suggest that the performance of some plant species in soils with
low P availability may not be favored by their association with AMF, but a synergy between AMF and intermediate P concentrations might drive
A. elongata’s growth.
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