title: Seedling performance of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel in the presence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus-plant symbiosis may induce morphological, physiological and/or biochemical changes in the host plants. This study was performed to investigate the effects of AM fungi on Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Funnelliformis mosseae and Rhizophagus irregularis were chosen as inocula, and detailed attributes related to seedling performance (from seed to five-leaf stage), rhizospheric conditions and micro-organisms were measured and compared. Both of the chosen AM fungal inocula accelerated seed germination and enhanced growth and development, especially in the underground tissues, of seedlings. Specifically, AM fungal colonization improved the photosynthetic efficiency, rhizospheric soil respiration and absorption of certain nutrients in Ph. australis seedlings as well as the rhizospheric microbial metabolic activity and richness in different extents. However, the decreased metabolic diversity suggested that the effects of AM fungi on rhizospheric microbial communities are specific and selective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a whole, F. mosseae showed greater improvements in the performance of Ph. australis seedlings than R. irregularis. In addition, the potential applications of AM fungi as a 'bio-accelerator', 'biofortifier', and 'bio-enhancer' in phyto-rhizoremediation have been discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main findings could preliminarily reveal the mechanisms behind AM fungus-plant symbioses and could be referred to when optimizing combined phyto-rhizoremediation before practical applications take place.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Urban Water Resource and Environment, School of Municipal and Environmental Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D018525:Germination; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000502:physiology*; D010788:Photosynthesis; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology; D058441:Rhizosphere; D036226:Seedlings / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000382:microbiology; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D012987:Soil
keywords: Phragmites australis; Seed germination; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; elements absorption; photosynthesis; rhizosphere