HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Rickerl, D. H. Articles by Ananth, S. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Rickerl, D. H. Articles by Ananth, S. Agricola Articles by Rickerl, D. H. Articles by Ananth, S.

Vesicular-Arbuscular Endomycorrhizal Colonization of Wetland Plants

Plant Science Dep., South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, SD 57007.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Mycorrhizal fungi colonize many terrestrial plants and often result in an increased uptake of P and several micronutrients. Little information is available on the relationships among vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizae (VAM), aquatic plants, and plant P concentrations. The major objectives of this study were to measure the degree of VAM colonization of wetland plants, and to determine the relationship between colonization and plant P concentrations when sampled from two contrasting water regimes (hydric soil with no surface water and hydric soil with a minimum of 10 cm of surface water). Two semipermanent wetlands in Lake County, South Dakota, were chosen for the study. Water regime did not have a significant effect on total or organic soil P concentration. Vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal spore samples collected from wet soils averaged 5000 spores kg^–1 compared with 2740 spores kg^–1 in dry soils. The eight plant species evaluated to determine VAM colonization were reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), slough sedge (Carex atherodes Spreng.), river bulrush [Scirpus fluviatilis (Torr.) Gray], slender rush (Juncus tenuis Willd.), dogbane (Apocynum cannabinum L.), water smartweed (Polygonum amphibium L.), cattail (Typha X glauca Godr.), and wild licorice (Glycyrrhiza lepidota (Nutt.) Pursh). Vescular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal colonization ranged from 78% (wild licorice) to none (slough sedge and slender rush). Roots from dry areas averaged 27% colonization compared with less than 1% in wet areas. Colonization levels of dogbane and reed canarygrass in dry zones were highly correlated to plant P concentrations. The results of this study indicate that several wetland plant species develop substantial mycorrhizal associations, particularly in relatively dry environments.