Composition and structure of arbuscular-mycorrhizal communities in El Palmar National Park, Argentina

Abstract

The arbuscular-mycorrhizal-fungal (AMF) communities from the El Palmar National Park of Entre Ríos Province, Argentina, were investigated and characterized. The species of AMF present in five distinct vegetation types—gallery forest, grassland, marsh, palm forest, and scrubland—were isolated, identified and quantified over 2 y. Forty-six AMF morphotaxa were found. The composition of the AMF communities differed between the seasons, soil and vegetation types. Seasonal variations were observed in members of the Acaulosporaceae, Archaeosporaceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Gigasporaceae and Pacisporaceae. Depending on soil type, the AMF-spore communities were dominated by members of one of the two main orders of the Glomeromycota. AMF communities from grassland and palm forest, which occur on sandy soils, comprised primarily members of the Diversisporales, with a high percentage of species of Acaulospora and of Gigasporaceae. Communities from the gallery forest, marsh and scrubland, which occur on loam-clay soils, were composed of members of the Glomerales, with a high percentage of spores from species of Glomus. Thus, both AMF and plant communities would appear to be strongly and similarly influenced by edaphic conditions.

• biodiversity conservation
• Glomeromycota
• palm forests
• seasonality
• vegetation types

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr Donald F. Haggerty, a retired career investigator and native English speaker, for editing the final version of the manuscript and Dr M. Arturi for statistical assistance. The National Parks authorities provided permits to do this study in El Palmar National Parks.

This research was supported by grants from UNLP (11/N651) Project, CICPBA, Agencia de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica ( PICT 2007-01233).

The constructive reviews of the two anonymous reviewers and Dr D. Taylor and Dr J. Stone have greatly improved the quality of the paper.