Abstract

The community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonizing the roots of Festuca pratensis and Achillea millefolium was characterized in a Swedish pasture at different times, along a gradient of fertilization. The small subunit ribosomal RNA gene was subjected to PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The sequences found in this study clustered in 10 discrete sequence groups, seven belonging to Glomus, two to Scutellospora and one to Diversispora. A negative correlation was observed between soil mineral nitrogen and the number of AMF sequence groups in the roots. The frequency of occurrence of AMF in roots decreased dramatically between June and September. No plant-host specificity could be detected

Published in

New Phytologist
2006, volume: 172, number: 1, pages: 159-168
Publisher: BLACKWELL PUBLISHING

Authors' information