Seasonal Fluctuations of Soil Microfungi in Correlation with Some Soil Enzyme Activities and Va Mycorrhizae Associated with Certain Plants of a Typical Calcixeroll Soil in Greece

ABSTRACT

Seasonal variation of the soil mycoflora in a typical calcixeroll soil of northern Greece under macchia vegetation was studied. Microscopic examination of the soil, dilution plates, soil plates and soil washings were used.

Microscopic examination of soil showed that fungi were present both as spores and mycelium. The dilution plate and soil plate method favored isolation of heavily sporulating fungi. A soil washing method favored the isolation of different fungi.

Eleven fungal species appeared to be codominant: Aspergillus flavus, A. niger, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Gliocladium virens, Mucor hiemalis, Penicillium canescens, P. chrysogenum, P. citrinum, P. frequentans, P. fuscum and Trichoderma pseudokoningii.

Highly organic layers supported the greatest number of fungal species and the numbers decreased with soil depth: Chaetomium globosum and Sordaria fimicola occurred only in the A horizon. Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus Candidus, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Penicillium simplicissimum, P. sclerotiorum, Rhizopus stolonifer and Trichothecium roseum appeared only in the A and B horizons. Twenty-seven fungal species and the sterile mycelia were found in the A, B and C horizons.

There were qualitative and quantitative differences in species composition between seasons. The viable microfungal population was positively correlated with some soil enzymes and microbial biomass C.

Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection examined for 25 plant species was low, with some exceptions. Only 18 plant species were mycorrhizal. Glomus macrocarpum and G. fasciculatum were identified as forming VA mycorrhizae.

Key Words:

• Soil fungi
• calcixeroll
• seasonality
• ecology