Abstract
The temporal and spatial dynamics of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) fungi were investigated in a desert ecosystem. Soil samples under the canopy of Zygophyllum dumosum were collected monthly between November 1999 and October 2000 from 0-10 and 10-20 cm depths. VAM fungal colonization and spore density were used to compare the responses of VAM fungi to soil conditions. The mean percent colonization and spore density of VAM fungi reached maximal values in November 1999 and September 2000. Soil moisture was positively correlated with colonization of VAM structure groups. Vesicular and arbuscular colonization were positively correlated with soil organic matter and total soluble N. Spore density was also positively correlated with total soluble N. Our results suggest that spore density and the extent of vesicular and arbuscular colonization are useful indicators for evaluating changes in desert soil ecosystems.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 379-387 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Arid Environments |
| Volume | 52 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Nov 2002 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research (No. 506/99-17?3) was supported by the Israel Science Foundation and in part by a Fred and Barbara Kort Sino-Israel Postdoctoral Fellowship to Dr Xueli He. The authors wish to express their appreciation to the staff at Avdat Research Farm. We would also like to thank Mrs Ginetta Barness for technical assistance.
Funding
This research (No. 506/99-17?3) was supported by the Israel Science Foundation and in part by a Fred and Barbara Kort Sino-Israel Postdoctoral Fellowship to Dr Xueli He. The authors wish to express their appreciation to the staff at Avdat Research Farm. We would also like to thank Mrs Ginetta Barness for technical assistance.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Israel Science Foundation |
Keywords
- Arid environment
- Mycorrhizae
- Rhizosphere
- Soil conditions
- Temporal and spatial dynamics