The mycorrhizal dependency of four hardwood tree species
Seedlings of four hardwood tree species were inoculated with six species of vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Glomus mosseae, G. fasciculatum, G. etunicatum, G. macrocarpum, G. epigaeum, and Gigaspora margarita) and grown for 16 weeks in a soil low in available phosphorus. Mycorrhizal dependency values were greatest for Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. followed by Liquidambar styraciflua L., Liriodendron tulipifera L., and Platanus occidentalis L. and were significantly influenced by the fungal species. For all tree species, inoculation with G. macrocarpum resulted in the highest mycorrhizal dependency values. An inverse correlation was observed between root fibrosity of noninoculated control plants and the mycorrhizal dependency values of each tree species.