Arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on serpentine soils: the effect of native fungal communities on different Knautia arvensis ecotypes

Abstract

The serpentine Knautia arvensis populations showed significantly lower mycorrhizal colonisation than their non-serpentine counterparts. The mycorrhizal colonisation positively correlated with soil pH, Ca and K concentrations and Ca/Mg ratio.

Serpentine populations of K. arvensis did not show higher mycorrhizal growth dependence than non-serpentine populations when grown in their native soils and inoculated with native AM fungi.

Keywords

• arbuscular mycorrhiza
• serpentine soils
• edaphic stress