JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2022, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (1): 7-14.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202006021

Special Issue: "双碳”视域下的土壤碳

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Response of readily oxidized carbon to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inoculations in rocky desert soil, Xundian, Yunnan Province

WANG Shaojun1,2(), ZUO Qianqian1, CAO Qianbin1, WANG Ping1, YANG Bo1, ZHAO Shuang1, CHEN Minkun1   

  1. 1. College of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224,China
    2. Co-Innovation Center for the Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
  • Received:2020-06-16 Accepted:2020-11-26 Online:2022-01-30 Published:2022-02-09

Abstract:

【Objective】Mycorrhizal technology may play a critical role in improving soil nutrient conditions, becoming an important biological approach to restore vegetation and soils in rocky desert areas. Readily oxidized carbon (ROC) is sensitive in its response to altered soil variables. This study aimed to reveal changes in the organic carbon pool and soil nutrient properties driven by the symbiosis between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM) and host plants in rocky desert habitats. We also attempted to elucidate the response of ROC accumulation to these changes.【Method】We inoculated Alnus nepalensis seedlings with three AM species in rocky desert soils sampled in Xundian, Yunnan Province, China. Four treatments were established to explore the association of altered ROC concentration with changes in the carbon pool, soil nutrients, and plant growth for rocky desert habitats: (1) Funneliformis mosseae (FM); (2) Claroideoglomus etunicatum (CE); (3) Rhizophagus intraradices (RI); (4) without AM and plant (CK). The ROC concentrations in the four treatments were determined by potassium permanganate oxidation.【Result】 The symbiosis and growth of host plants were significantly enhanced in the three AM species. The RI fungi had the highest infection effectiveness; the infection rate and density of RI fungi increased by 155% and 100%, respectively, compared with the control. The RI fungi also significantly enhanced the tree height (by 60%) and base diameter (by 46%) of seedlings. Three AM fungal species increased the soil ROC concentration; this increased rate was ranked in descending order as: RI (122%) > CE (78%) > FM (61%). The ROC concentration accounted for the largest proportion in the total organic carbon (TOC) pool. The greatest proportion of ROC was 52%, which was much higher than the microbial biomass carbon (3%-6%). The improvement rate of soil nutrients by the three AM fungi was ranked in descending order as: RI > CE > FM. The RI fungi strongly increased plant available nitrogen (161%), microbial biomass carbon (127%), TOC (110%), and plant available phosphorus (97%). The infection rate of AM fungi (96%), plant available nitrogen (94%), microbial biomass carbon (85%), TOC (78%), and plant available phosphorus (72%) obviously contributed to ROC changes. 【Conclusion】 The data indicate that the symbiosis of AM fungi with A. nepalensis can induce alterations in the soil carbon pool and nutrient properties alongside improving plant growth; this drives the accumulation of oxidized organic carbon in rocky desert soil. The results also help to elucidate the microbiological mechanisms regulating plant growth, soil restoration, and active organic carbon deposition in rocky desert habitats.

Key words: rocky desertification, Alnus nepalensis, arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, readily oxidized carbon (ROC), soil carbon pool, soil properties, plant available nutrients

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