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The Abundance and Diversity of Legume-Nodulating Rhizobia in 28-Year-Old Plantations of Tropical, Subtropical, and Exotic Tree Species: a Case Study from the Forest Reserve of Bandia, Senegal

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Abstract

Several fast-growing and multipurpose tree species have been widely used in West Africa to both reverse the tendency of land degradation and restore soil productivity. Although beneficial effects have been reported on soil stabilization, there still remains a lack of information about their impact on soil microorganisms. Our investigation has been carried out in exotic and native tree plantations of 28 years and aimed to survey and compare the abundance and genetic diversity of natural legume-nodulating rhizobia (LNR). The study of LNR is supported by the phylogenetic analysis which clustered the isolates into three genera: Bradyrhizobium, Mesorhizobium, and Sinorhizobium. The results showed close positive correlations between the sizes of LNR populations estimated both in the dry and rainy seasons and the presence of legume tree hosts. There were significant increases in Rhizobium spp. population densities in response to planting with Acacia spp., and high genetic diversities and richness of genotypes were fittest in these tree plantations. This suggests that enrichment of soil Rhizobium spp. populations is host specific. The results indicated also that species of genera Mesorhizobium and Sinorhizobium were lacking in plantations of non-host species. By contrast, there was a widespread distribution of Bradyrhizobium spp. strains across the tree plantations, with no evident specialization in regard to plantation type. Finally, the study provides information about the LNR communities associated with a range of old tree plantations and some aspects of their relationships to soil factors, which may facilitate the management of man-made forest systems that target ecosystem rehabilitation and preservation of soil biota.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Fonds National de Recherche Agricole et Agroalimentaire (02AP06SS020407), Sud Expert Plantes (306 F), and the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie. We are grateful to Pr Mamadou Gueye (ANSTS) and Pr Cheikh Kandji (UCAD) for correcting the English grammar in the original text, and the anonymous reviewers for invaluable comments on the manuscript. G. Sene received grant from the Institut Senegalais de Recherches Agricoles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Commun de Microbiologie LCM, IRD/ISRA/UCAD, Bel-Air BP 1386, CP 18524, Dakar, Senegal

    Godar Sene, Mansour Thiao, Ramatoulaye Samba-Mbaye, Aboubacry Kane & Samba Ndao Sylla

  2. Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005, Dakar-Fann, Senegal

    Mansour Thiao, Ramatoulaye Samba-Mbaye, Aboubacry Kane, Mame Samba Mbaye & Samba Ndao Sylla

  3. Institut Sénégalais de Recherches Agricoles, Bel-Air, Dakar, Senegal

    Godar Sene

  4. Université Gaston Berger, Saint-Louis, Senegal

    Anicet Manga

  5. Centre d’étude de la forêt, Chaire de recherche du Canada en génomique forestière et environnementale et Institut de biologie intégrative et des systems, Université Laval, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada

    Damase Khasa & Marie-Ève Beaulieu

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  1. Godar Sene
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Correspondence to Godar Sene.

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Sene, G., Thiao, M., Samba-Mbaye, R. et al. The Abundance and Diversity of Legume-Nodulating Rhizobia in 28-Year-Old Plantations of Tropical, Subtropical, and Exotic Tree Species: a Case Study from the Forest Reserve of Bandia, Senegal. Microb Ecol 65, 128–144 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-012-0094-y

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