Interaction of Acaena elongata L. with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi under Phosphorus Limitation Conditions in a Temperate Forest

• Published in: Phyton (Buenos Aires) Vol. 90; no. 2; pp. 605 - 619
• Main Authors: V醶quez-Santos, Yasmin, Mart韓ez-Orea, Yuriana, 羖varez-S醤chez, Javier, Monta駉, No Manuel, Luc韆 Camargo-Ricalde, Sara, Castillo-Arg黣ro, Silvia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; French; German; Italian; Portuguese; Spanish
• Published: Buenos Aires Tech Science Press 2021
• Subjects: Acaena elongata; Arbuscular mycorrhizas; Availability; Colonization; Dependence; Elongation; Forestry research; Fungi; Leaf area; Phosphorus; Plant species; Plant tissues; Soils; Temperate forests
• ISSN: 1851-5657; 0031-9457; 1851-5657
• DOI: 10.32604/phyton.2021.014208

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.