Abundance and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in different land use types in Jabi Tehnan Woreda, Western Gojam, Ethiopia

Abstract

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community structure and function are affected by changes induced by severe deforestation and land degradation. In order to evaluate this, a site was selected at Jabi Tehnan Woreda with eight land use types, grouped into four monocrops (annuals), one mono tree (perennial), two mixed crop, and one mixed tree-crop (perennial) to study AMF spore density, root colonization and identification. Spore density of the different cropping systems varied significantly both within and between land use types ranging from 104 spores/100 g soil from eucalyptus (E. globulus) to 929 spores/100 g soil for mixed crop I (cabbage+sunflower+maize). All plants formed AM symbiosis with different types of structures, except cabbage (Brassica oleraceae). The AM fungal colonization pattern showed variations ranging from 22% (teff and eucalyptus) up to 73.4% from maize in mixed crop I. A total of 12 AMF genera and 42 morphospecies were identified from the different cropping systems, of which the highest number of species was recorded under the genus Acaulospora (15 species), followed by 4 each to genera Claroideoglomus, Diversispora and Funneliformis, 3 each to Dentiscutata, Gigaspora and Rhizophagus, 2 to Scuttelospora and 1 each to Cetraspora, Paraglomus, Racocetra and Septoglomus. Based on important value (IV), 47% of the AMF species were found to be common and none of them were dominant. In this study, AMF species diversity was much lower in tree-based cropping system than in the annual cropping system suggesting that the rapid root dynamics and turnover in the short seasoned crops may enhance the maintenance of AMF community.

Keywords/phrases: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Crops, Diversity, Land use, Trees.

Ethiop. J. Biol. Sci. 16(2): 123–141, 2017