Initial vegetation, and spore density, diversity and evenness of different arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi morphotaxa 29,36 and 39 months after experimental vegetation removal, central Argentina ...

• Main Authors: Urcelay, Carlos, Díaz, Sandra, Gurvich, Diego E, Chapin, F Stuart, Cuevas, Elvira, Domínguez, Laura S
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2009
• Subjects: Hand corer; International Polar Year 2007-2008 IPY; International Polar Year; IPY
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.837498; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.837498

1. Dominant plant functional types (PFTs) are expected to be primary determinants of communities of other above- and below-ground organisms. Here, we report the effects of the experimental removal of different PFTs on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in a shrubland ecosystem in central Argentina.2. On the basis of the biomass-ratio hypothesis and plant resource use strategy theory, we expected the effect of removal of PFTs on AMF colonization and spores to be proportional to the biomass removed and to be stronger when more conservative PFTs were removed. The treatments applied were: undisturbed control (no plant removed), disturbed control (mechanical disturbance), no shrub (removal of deciduous shrubs), no perennial forb (removal of perennial forbs), no graminoid (removal of graminoids) and no annual forb (removal of annual forbs). AMF colonization was assessed after 5,17 and 29 months. Total density of AMF spores, richness and evenness of morpho-taxa, and AMF functional groups were quantified ... : Data extracted in the frame of a joint ICSTI/PANGAEA IPY effort, see http://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.150150 ...