Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and root colonisation differ in relation to plant host and soil nutrients

<p>• Field samples from two coexisting plant species were examined to see whether they were colonised by distinct fungal communities, and whether the colonisation pattern differed between the two plant species.</p><p>• Two plant species, <em>Agrostis capillaris</em> and <em>Ranunculus acris</em> from four mountain slopes in the Faroe Islands were examined for percentage root length colonisation (%RLC) including the amount of arbuscules and vesicles, and the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal types in the roots identified by cloning and sequencing.</p><p>• Fewer AM fungal types were found in <em>Ranunculus acris</em> than in <em>Agrostis capillaris,</em> but the %RLC was greater in <em>Ranunculus acris</em>, which also showed seasonal variability. Vesicles were more abundant in <em>Ranunculus acris.</em></p><p>• Statistical analysis suggested that the AM fungal communities colonising the two plant species were distinct. The root colonisation in <em>Ranunculus acris</em> responded to other soil nutrients than the root colonisation in <em>Agrostis capillaris.</em></p>