Effects of Variations in Soil Moisture and Phosphorus Concentrations on the Diversity of the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Community in an Agricultural Ecosystem

Abstract

In farmland ecosystems, phosphorus and water have crucial roles. To elucidate the effects of phosphorus concentration and water management on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), field experiments were conducted in a farmland ecosystem (China). We examined the effects of different treatments, including drought and normal phosphorus, normal water and normal phosphorus, drought and low phosphorus, and normal water and low phosphorus, on the AM fungal biomass, diversity, and community. Results showed great differences in the AMF under different water and phosphorus concentrations. When under a suitable drought treatment, the AMF became more abundant and more conducive to plant growth. The abundance of AMF varied with different phosphorus treatments, and the abundance of AMF in low-phosphorus treatments was higher, which is more suitable for plant growth. In conclusion, as water and phosphorus concentrations change, the community structure of AMF constantly changes. Only under the appropriate water and phosphorus concentration processing can AMF play its role well. Understanding the influence of different phosphorus concentrations and the moisture contents of AMF can play a role in the agricultural production of AMF, and it can also provide improved theoretical support.

Keywords

• arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)
• the moisture content
• soil phosphorus content
• agricultural ecosystem