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The growth of external AM fungal mycelium in sand dunes and in experimental systems

Olsson, Pål Axel LU and Wilhelmsson, P (2000) In Plant and Soil 226(2). p.161-169
Abstract
We estimated the biomass and growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) mycelium in sand dunes using signature fatty acids. Mesh bags and tubes, containing initially mycelium-free sand, were buried in the field near the roots of the dune grass Ammophila arenaria L. AM fungal mycelia were detected at a distance of about 8.5 cm from the roots after 68 days of growth by use of neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) 16:15. The average rate of mycelium extension during September and October was estimated as 1.2 mm day–1. The lipid and fatty acid compositions of AM fungal mycelia of isolates and from sand dunes were analysed and showed all to be of a similar composition. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) can be used as indicators of microbial biomass. The... (More)
We estimated the biomass and growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) mycelium in sand dunes using signature fatty acids. Mesh bags and tubes, containing initially mycelium-free sand, were buried in the field near the roots of the dune grass Ammophila arenaria L. AM fungal mycelia were detected at a distance of about 8.5 cm from the roots after 68 days of growth by use of neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) 16:15. The average rate of mycelium extension during September and October was estimated as 1.2 mm day–1. The lipid and fatty acid compositions of AM fungal mycelia of isolates and from sand dunes were analysed and showed all to be of a similar composition. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) can be used as indicators of microbial biomass. The mycelium of G. intraradices growing in glass beads contained 8.3 nmol PLFAs per mg dry biomass, and about 15% of the PLFAs in G. intraradices, G. claroideum and AM fungal mycelium extracted from sand dunes, consisted of the signature PLFA 16:15. We thus suggest a conversion factor of 1.2 nmol PLFA 16:15 per mg dry biomass. Calculations using this conversion factor indicated up to 34 g dry AM fungal biomass per g sand in the sand dunes, which was less than one tenth of that found in an experimental system with Glomus spp. growing with cucumber as plant associate in agricultural soil. The PLFA results from different systems indicated that the biomass of the AM fungi constitutes a considerable part of the total soil microbial biomass. Calculations based on ATP of AM fungi in an experimental growth system indicated that the biomass of the AM fungi constituted approximately 30% of the total microbial biomass. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Plant and Soil
volume
226
issue
2
pages
161 - 169
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0034492089
ISSN
0032-079X
DOI
10.1023/A:1026565314345
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fc3dfe0a-70b3-46d0-bb7c-2666c3dfe77e (old id 149464)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:42:13
date last changed
2022-01-26 08:56:08
@article{fc3dfe0a-70b3-46d0-bb7c-2666c3dfe77e,
  abstract     = {{We estimated the biomass and growth of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) mycelium in sand dunes using signature fatty acids. Mesh bags and tubes, containing initially mycelium-free sand, were buried in the field near the roots of the dune grass Ammophila arenaria L. AM fungal mycelia were detected at a distance of about 8.5 cm from the roots after 68 days of growth by use of neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) 16:15. The average rate of mycelium extension during September and October was estimated as 1.2 mm day–1. The lipid and fatty acid compositions of AM fungal mycelia of isolates and from sand dunes were analysed and showed all to be of a similar composition. Phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) can be used as indicators of microbial biomass. The mycelium of G. intraradices growing in glass beads contained 8.3 nmol PLFAs per mg dry biomass, and about 15% of the PLFAs in G. intraradices, G. claroideum and AM fungal mycelium extracted from sand dunes, consisted of the signature PLFA 16:15. We thus suggest a conversion factor of 1.2 nmol PLFA 16:15 per mg dry biomass. Calculations using this conversion factor indicated up to 34 g dry AM fungal biomass per g sand in the sand dunes, which was less than one tenth of that found in an experimental system with Glomus spp. growing with cucumber as plant associate in agricultural soil. The PLFA results from different systems indicated that the biomass of the AM fungi constitutes a considerable part of the total soil microbial biomass. Calculations based on ATP of AM fungi in an experimental growth system indicated that the biomass of the AM fungi constituted approximately 30% of the total microbial biomass.}},
  author       = {{Olsson, Pål Axel and Wilhelmsson, P}},
  issn         = {{0032-079X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{161--169}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Plant and Soil}},
  title        = {{The growth of external AM fungal mycelium in sand dunes and in experimental systems}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1026565314345}},
  doi          = {{10.1023/A:1026565314345}},
  volume       = {{226}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}