title: Soil sand content can alter effects of different taxa of mycorrhizal fungi on plant biomass production of grassland species.
abstract: In this greenhouse experiment we tested whether (i) ubiquitous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) taxa (Glomus claroideum,Glomus geosporum,Glomus intraradices,Glomus mosseae) singly and in a mixture differently affect growth and biomass production of four co-occurring grassland species (grass:Arrhenatherum elatius, non-leguminous forbs:Plantago lanceolata,Salvia pratensisand leguminous forbTrifolium pratense), and (ii) different soil sand contents alter AMF influence. We hypothesized that AMF effects on plants will increase with an increased AMF diversity and with increasing sand content. Percent AMF colonization of roots differed between plant species and AMF taxa and was higher with higher sand content. Plant growth responses to AMF were species-specific both regarding plants and AMF. Generally, biomass production of the non-leguminous forbs was the most responsive, the grass species the least and the legume intermediate both for AMF treatments and sand content. Across species, AMF influence on plant biomass increased with increasing soil sand content. Plant species growing in soil containing a mix of four AMF taxa showed similar growth responses than species in soil containing only one AMF taxon. These results suggest that both interference among AMF taxa and soil sand content can trigger the influence of AMF on plant production in grassland species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Johann G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Zaller
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Department of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Gregor Mendel Strasse 33, 1180 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Drapela
keywords: AMF inoculation; AMF taxa; Biomass allocation; Grassland; Plant biomass production; Plant growth responses; Root growth; Shoot growth; Soil texture