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Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Rhizospheric Bacteria Diversity Along an Altitudinal Gradient in South American Puna Grassland

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Abstract

Rhizospheric soil samples were taken from Puna native grasses along an altitudinal gradient. Biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and associated bacteria was analyzed considering altitude and grasses photosynthetic pathways (metabolic type C3, C4). Cultivation-dependent approaches were applied to obtain further information about the phylogeny of the dominating cultivable aerobic–heterotrophic bacteria communities present in rhizospheric soil samples. In average, the bacterial count ranged between 1.30 × 102 and 8.66 × 104 CFU g−1 of dry weight of soil. Individual bacterial colonies of aerobic heterotrophic bacteria grown on R2A medium were morphologically grouped and identified as typical soil bacteria belonging to the genera Bacillus, Pseudomonas, and Arthrobacter. Ten AMF taxa were found: Acaulospora sp., A. laevis, A. spinosa, Gigaspora sp., Gi. ramisporophora, Glomus sp., Gl. aggregatum, Gl. ambisporum, Gl. sinuosum, and Scutellospora biornata. AMF diversity decreased with altitude.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to M. A. Negritto and E. M. Crespo for their field assistance. We are also indebted to G. R. de Fanjul for the linguistic corrections. This study was supported by grants from ANPCYT (PICT 11082-3 BID 1728/OC-AR) and UNT (CIUNT 26D/334), PROIPRO 2-0302 (SECyT, FQBYF-UNSL), and by the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cátedra de Diversidad Vegetal I, Fac. de Qca., Bioqca. y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina

    M. A. Lugo & E. Menoyo

  2. PROIMI (Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos)–CONICET, Tucumán, Argentina

    M. Ferrero, M. C. Estévez & F. Siñeriz

  3. Cátedra Microbiología Superior, Fac. de Bqca., Qca. y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

    F. Siñeriz

  4. IMBIV–CONICET, Fac. Cs. Ex., Fís. y Nat., Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina

    A. Anton

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  1. M. A. Lugo
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Correspondence to M. A. Lugo.

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Lugo, M.A., Ferrero, M., Menoyo, E. et al. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Rhizospheric Bacteria Diversity Along an Altitudinal Gradient in South American Puna Grassland. Microb Ecol 55, 705–713 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-007-9313-3

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