Determination of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at different altitudinal gradients

Abstract

Altitude has significant determinative effects on many ecological processes and ecosystems of both above-ground and soil organisms. Among those soil organisms, characeristics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are also affected by the altitudinal changes. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of AMF spore density within the different altitudinal gradients. In order to achieve this aim, soil samples were collected in June and July of 2016 to use for determining some soil characteristics and for isolation of AMF in Bartın and Karabük. Four locations from consecutive altitudinal gradients (0-1500 m; one location from each 500 m gradient) were selected among those provinces. From the each location, 10 soil samples were taken. These soil samples were taken from the rhizosphere layer; a depth of 0-30 cm for the soil analysis which involves the analyses of soil texture, actual pH (H2O), CaCO3, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus, and the AMF isolation. Consequently, totally 40 soil samples for AMF isolation and 40 soil samples for soil analyses were taken. Poaceae family has been selected as pilot host plant family in this study. Isolation of AMF from soil was conducted at the Poaceae family plants’ rhizosphere layers. Botanic composition (legumes, grasses and other botanical families) was determined by belt transect method within the research fields. In this research, the relationship between the AMF spore density and some soil characteristics was investigated. AMF were observed in all of rhizosphere soils. According to the One-Way Anova test, the density of AMF spore number varied depending upon the altitudinal gradients. However, the biodiversity of AMF was not only depend upon the altitudinal gradients but also upon the soil properties and botanic composition within the study fields. The highest average number of AMF spores in 25 grams of soil was 39.18 and the highest number of AMF genus was 13 at the 500 m asl within the Arıt region of Bartın province. The lowest average number of AMF spores was determined at the 11 m asl. as 19.10 within the Kızılkum region of Bartın province. Furthermore, the results of this research contributed to the scientific knowledge about the ecologic properties of AMF.