Partial Retention of Legacy Trees Protect Mycorrhizal Inoculum Potential, Biodiversity, and Soil Resources While Promoting Natural Regeneration of Interior Douglas-Fir

Clearcutting reduces proximity to seed sources and mycorrhizal inoculum potential for regenerating seedlings. Partial retention of legacy trees and protection of refuge plants, as well as preservation of the forest floor, can maintain mycorrhizal networks that colonize germinants and improve nutrient supply. However, little is known of overstory retention levels that best protect mycorrhizal inoculum while also providing sufficient light and soil resources for seedling establishment. To quantify the effect of tree retention on seedling regeneration, refuge plants, and resource availability, we compared five harvesting methods with increasing retention of overstory trees (clearcutting (0% retention), seed tree (10% retention), 30% patch retention, 60% patch retention, and 100% retention in uncut controls) in an interior Douglas-fir-dominated forest in British Columbia. Regeneration increased with proximity to legacy trees in partially cut forests, with increasing densities of interior Douglas-fir, western redcedar, grand fir, and western hemlock seedlings with overstory tree retention. Clearcutting reduced cover of ectomycorrhizal refuge plants (from 80 to 5%) while promoting arbuscular mycorrhizal plants the year after harvest. Richness of shrubs, herbs, and mosses declined with increasing harvesting intensity, but tree richness remained at control levels. The presence of legacy trees in all partially cut treatments mitigated these losses. Light availability declined with increasing overstory cover and proximity to leave trees, but it still exceeded 1,000 W m−2 in the clearcut, seed tree and 30% retention treatments. Increasing harvesting intensity reduced aboveground and belowground C stocks, particularly in live trees and the forest floor, although forest floor losses were also substantial where thinning took place in the 60% retention treatment. The loss of forest floor carbon, along with understory plant richness with intense harvesting was likely associated with a loss of ectomycorrhizal inoculum potential. This study suggests that dispersed retention of overstory trees where seed trees are spaced ~10–20 m apart, and aggregated retention where openings are <60 m (2 tree-lengths) in width, will result in an optimal balance of seed source proximity, inoculum potential, and resource availability where seedling regeneration, plant biodiversity, and carbon stocks are protected.

Effects of Bifenthrin on Mycorrhizal Colonization and Growth of Corn

The insecticide bifenthrin is a synthetic pyrethroid required by regulation for the production of nursery crops to suppress the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) in Orange and Riverside counties in California. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to analyze the effects of different rates of bifenthrin on the growth and mycorrhizal colonization of ‘Silver Queen’ corn (Zea mays) inoculated with VAM 80®, a mycorrhizal inoculum with spores, hyphae, and root pieces colonized by Glomus spp., used to inoculate California native plants in containers. Corn was used because it is the standard indicator plant used for mycorrhizal inoculum potential assays and it is a good host for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi propagation. The application of bifenthrin had no detrimental effects on mycorrhizal colonization of corn. There were no significant differences in the root length colonized by arbuscules, vesicles, or in the total percentage of mycorrhizal colonization obtained in the plants grown with the different bifenthrin rates 6 weeks after transplanting. However, there were significant interactions on the effects of bifenthrin and mycorrhizal colonization on plant growth. The addition of 12, 15, and 25 ppm of bifenthrin reduced corn biomass of nonmycorrhizal plants, but had no effect on the growth of mycorrhizal plants. There were no significant differences between the mycorrhizal and nonmycorrhizal plants grown with 0, 10, and 12 ppm of bifenthrin. In contrast, inoculation with VAM 80® increased the shoot dry weight of plants grown with 15 and 25 ppm of bifenthrin. This study showed that mycorrhizal colonization can be helpful to overcome some of the negative effects of bifenthrin on the growth of corn.

Distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizae in relation to microsites on primary successional substrates on Mount St. Helens

Arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi (AMF) occur in most terrestrial ecosystems and are crucial to plant community structure and function. This study examined the distribution of AMF propagules, spores, and colonized plants across the Pumice Plain of Mount St. Helens 23 years after its eruption, documenting the changes since 1993. Propagules of AMF were detected by using the mycorrhizal inoculum potential assay in six microsite types across the Pumice Plain. Fifteen species of AMF were isolated from spore trap cultures, and spores were found in all of the microsites, although the distribution was aggregated. The vegetation of the Pumice Plain is currently composed primarily of facultatively mycotrophic species, which are predominantly associated with arbuscular mycorrhizae. Mycorrhizal colonization and propagule levels continue to increase as primary succession proceeds.

Occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soils of early stages of a secondary succession of Atlantic Forest in South Brazil

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) species diversity and mycorrhizal inoculum potential were assessed in areas representative of stages of secondary succession in the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest. Within each stage - pioneer, 'capoeirinha' and 'capoeirão'- four transects were established and three soil samples were taken along each transect. The plant community was dominated by Pteridium aquilinium in the pioneer stage, while Dodonaea viscosa and P. aquilinium were co-dominants in the 'capoeirinha' stage. In capoeirão, Miconia cinnamomifolia was dominant followed by Euterpe edulis. Total spore number per 100 g soil was significantly larger in the 'capoeirinha' stage than in the other stages, although the number of viable spores was similar among stages. Acaulosporaceae and Glomeraceae were the predominant families accounting for 83% of the total spores recovered. Of the 18 spore morphotypes, 10 were allocated to known species, with Acaulospora sp. and Glomus sp. being the dominants recovered in all samples. Simpson's index of diversity and evenness for AMF species were not significantly different among the successional stages and AMF species richness was negatively correlated with plant species richness. Soil from 'Capoeirinha" showed the highest inoculum potential (37%). Dominance of the mycorrhizal community by few sporulators and the relationship between plant and fungal diversity are discussed.

Arbuscular mycorrhizas influence plant diversity, productivity, and nutrients in boreal grasslands

The effect of reduced arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) colonization on nitrogen and phosphorus concentration in grass tissue, species diversity, cover, and productivity was investigated after 4 years of benomyl application in two boreal grasslands, Storvordlia (a high plant diversity field) and Kalvsvangen (a low plant diversity field), in Eastern Norway. In addition, AM colonization, spore numbers, and mycorrhizal inoculum potential was studied during one season. A split-plot design was used, with grazing as the main treatment and the application of benomyl as a subtreatment. AM colonization was significantly reduced because of benomyl application, whereas spore numbers were not significantly affected by the treatment. Mycorrhizal inoculum potential was reduced, but not consistently. In both sites nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of grass tissue was significantly higher in grazed plots than in ungrazed ones, and significantly lower in benomyl subplots than in controls. Plant diversity, composition, and cover had changed significantly after 4 years in grazed controls in Storvordlia, but this was not seen in Kalvsvangen. In both sites, total productivity increased significantly after 4 years of benomyl application. This experiment indicates that AM associations can influence grass nutrient contents and species responses, plant diversity, and productivity in boreal grasslands. These differences were larger in the higher plant diversity site, which is situated at a higher elevation and is under more marginal growth conditions.Key words: arbuscular mycorrhiza, benomyl, productivity, biodiversity, boreal grasslands, ecosystem processes.