Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with the clonal plants in Mu Us sandland of China

Clonal plants in Mu Us sandland change the sandy enviroment. The clonal plant is a kind of resource in restoration of the Mu Us sandy landscape. Soil samples at depth of 50 cm in the rhizosphere of the clonal plants were collected in 4 replicates at each location and divided into sections corresponding to 0—10, 10—20, 20—30, 30—40 and 40—50 cm depths in two representative sites from north to south in Mu Us sandland, northwestern China, in July 2005. Clonal plants included Psammochloa villosa and Hedysarum laeve. The colonization and ecological distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were investigated in the rhizosphere of clonal plants in Mu Us sandland. The results showed that the clonal plants established well symbiosis with AM fungi; AM fungal species and spatial distribution were significantly related with the host plants and soil factors. Of 16 AM fungal taxa in three genera isolated and identified, Glomus multicaule was only observed in the rhizosphere of Psammochloa villosa; Glomus aggregatum, Glomus hydembadensis, Glomus constrictum and Acaulospora rehmii only appeared in the rhizosphere of Hedysarum leave. The depth of soil layers observably affected the spore density and the frequency of colonization (%F). The maximal %F and spore density occurred in the 10—20 cm layer at the site of Ordos Sandy Land Ecological Station, but which occurred in the 0—10 cm layer in Shanxi Yulin Rare Sandy-plants Conversation Field. AM fungal status and colonization might be used to monitor desertification and soil degradation.