Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Impact of simulated erosion on the abundance and activity of indigenous vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal endophytes in an Oxisol

  • Published:
Biology and Fertility of Soils Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The influence of simulated erosion on the abundance and activity of indigenous vesiculararbuscular mycorrhizal (VAM) populations was evaluated in an Oxisol. Surface-soil losses in excess of 7.5 cm were generally associated with significant decreases in the numbers of total and active VAM propagules and in the symbiotic effectiveness of the active propagules. Surface-soil removal not exceeding 7.5 cm was associated with decreased propagule abundance without adverse effects on VAM colonization of roots and symbiotic effectiveness of the fungi. The extent of VAM colonization of roots and the degree of symbiotic effectiveness observed at this level of simulated erosion were significantly higher than those observed in the soil not subjected to simulated erosion. This stimulation is attributed to the removal of antagonistic biotic factors as the top 7.5 cm of soil was removed. It is concluded that propagules lost during erosional soil losses must be replaced before legumes grown on relatively highly weathered and severely eroded tropical soils could appreciably benefit from the VAM symbiosis.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Daniels BA, Skipper HD (1982) Methods for the recovery and quantitative estimation of propagules from soil. In: Schenck NC (ed) Methods and principles of mycorrhizal research. Am Phytol Soc, St. Paul, pp 29–35

    Google Scholar 

  • El-Swaify SA, Dangler EW, Armstrong CL (1982) Soil erosion by water in the tropics. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerdemann JW, Nicolson TH (1963) Spores of Endogone extracted from soil by wet-sieving and decanting. Trans Br Mycol Soc 46:235–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Giovannetti M, Mosse B (1980) An evalution of techniques for measuring vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots. New Phytol 84:489–500

    Google Scholar 

  • Habte M, EI-Swaify SA (1988) Survival of Rhizobium in an Oxisol subjected to incremental simulated erosion. Soil Sci Soc Am J 52:1313–1316

    Google Scholar 

  • Habte M, Manjunath A (1987) Soil solution phosphorus status and mycorrhizal dependency in Leucaena leucocephala. Appl Environ Microbiol 53:797–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Habte M, Fox RL, Huang RS (1987) Determining vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal effectiveness by monitoring P status of subleaflets of an indicator plant. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 18:1403–1420

    Google Scholar 

  • Hall IR (1980) Growth of Lotus pedunculatus cav. in an eroded soil containing soil pellets infested with endomycorrhizal fungi. NZJ Agric Res 23:103–105

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal R (1984) Soil erosion from tropical arable lands. Adv Agron 37:183–248

    Google Scholar 

  • Manjunath A, Habte M (1988) Development of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection and the uptake of immobile nutrients in Leucaena leucocephala. Plant and Soil 106:97–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Powell CL (1980) Mycorrhizal infectivity of eroded soils. Soil Biol Biochem 12:247–250

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross JP, Ruttencutter R (1977) Population dynamics of two vesicular-arbuscular endomycorrhizal fungi and the roles of hyperaparasitic fungi. Phytopathology 67:490–496

    Google Scholar 

  • Stocking M (1985) Erosion-induced losses in soil productivity: A research design. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome

    Google Scholar 

  • Tuttle CL, Golden MS, Meldahl RS (1985) Surface soil removal and herbicide treatment effects on soil properties and loblolly pine early growth. Soil Sci Soc Am J 49:1558–1562

    Google Scholar 

  • Warnock JP, Fitter AH, Usher MB (1982) The influence of a springtail Folsima candida (Insecta, Collembola) on mycorrhizal association of leek Allium porrum and the vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal endophyte G. fasciculatum. New Phytol 90: 285–292

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson GT, Hetrick BA, Kitt DG (1987) Suppression of VA mycorrhizal fungus spore germination in nonsterile soil. In: Sylvia DM, Hung LL, Graham JH (eds) Institute of Food and Agricultural Science, University of Florida, Gainsville, pp 224

    Google Scholar 

  • Young KK (1980) The impact of erosion on the productivity of soils in the United States. In: Debont M, Gabriels D (eds) Wiley, New York, pp 295–303

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy and Soil Sience, University of Hawaii, 1910 East West Road, 96822, Honolulu, HI, USA

    M. Habte

Authors
  1. M. Habte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Hawaii Institute of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources Journal Series No. 3234

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Habte, M. Impact of simulated erosion on the abundance and activity of indigenous vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal endophytes in an Oxisol. Biol Fert Soils 7, 164–167 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00292576

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00292576

Key words

Search

Navigation