Flooding Greatly Affects the Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities in the Roots of Wetland Plants
2011

Flooding Greatly Affects the Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities in the Roots of Wetland Plants

Sample size: 27 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Wang Yutao, Huang Yelin, Qiu Qiu, Xin Guorong, Yang Zhongyi, Shi Suhua

Primary Institution: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China

Hypothesis

Low AMF diversity is associated with mangrove roots, and flooding by sea water greatly decreases AMF diversity in mangrove roots.

Conclusion

The study found that flooding significantly affects the diversity and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in mangrove roots.

Supporting Evidence

  • 761 Glomeromycota sequences were obtained, grouped into 23 phylotypes.
  • Flooding was shown to significantly affect AMF diversity and colonization intensity.
  • AMF diversity in mangrove ecosystems can be comparable to that in terrestrial ecosystems.

Takeaway

This study shows that flooding can change the types of fungi living in the roots of mangrove plants, and that these fungi can be quite diverse.

Methodology

The study involved collecting root samples from three mangrove species across different tidal levels and analyzing the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi using molecular techniques.

Limitations

The study was limited to three mangrove species and a specific geographic area, which may not represent all mangrove ecosystems.

Participant Demographics

The study focused on three mangrove species: Acanthus ilicifolius, Heritiera littoralis, and Acrostichum aureum.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0024512

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