Arbuscular mycorrhizal and dark septate endophyte fungal associations in plants of different vegetation types in Velliangiri Hills of Western Ghats, southern India

In recent years more attention is being paid to the presence of various non-pathogenic root fungal associations in plants of natural ecosystems for their role in various ecosystem processes. Despite their widespread reports in various ecosystems worldwide, our knowledge on root endophyte fungal association in plants from natural vegetation is far from complete. We assessed the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and dark septate endophyte (DSE) fungal association in plants of Velliangiri Hills of the southern Western Ghats region, due to limited information on the root fungal association in this region. Of the 147 plant taxa (belonging to 46 families) investigated from five different vegetation types ranging from montane grasslands to tropical rainforest, 141 were colonised by AM fungi and co-occurrence of DSE fungi along with AM fungi was observed in 74 plant taxa. We report AM and DSE fungal associations for the first time in 61 and 42 plant species, respectively. Determination of AM morphological types indicated the frequent occurrence of intermediate type and AM morphology is reported for the first time in 64 plant taxa. Spore morphotypes belonging to eleven species (in six genera) were isolated from the different vegetation types. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal spore numbers neither differed significantly among vegetation types nor were related to AM fungal colonisation. Spores of Funneliformis geosporum was the most frequent spore morphotypes. Dark septate endophyte fungal association occurred in plants of all the vegetation types and was most frequent in herbs. Though no significant relationship was found between AM and DSE fungal colonisation within roots, a positive association was found in the occurrence of these two fungal groups

Fungal root endophyte associations of plants endemic to the Pamir Alay Mountains of Central Asia

The fungal root endophyte associations of 16 species from 12 families of plants endemic to the Pamir Alay Mountains of Central Asia are presented. The plants and soil samples were collected in Zeravshan and Hissar ranges within the central Pamir Alay mountain system. Colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was found in 15 plant species; in 8 species it was of the Arum type and in 4 of the Paris type, while 3 taxa revealed intermediate arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) morphology. AMF colonization was found to be absent only in Matthiola integrifolia, the representative of the Brassicaceae family. The AM status and morphology are reported for the first time for all the species analyzed and for the genera Asyneuma, Clementsia, and Eremostachys. Mycelia of dark septate endophytes (DSE) accompanied the AMF colonization in ten plant species. The frequency of DSE occurrence in the roots was low in all the plants, with the exception of Spiraea baldschuanica. However, in the case of both low and higher occurrence, the percentage of DSE root colonization was low. Moreover, the sporangia of Olpidium spp. were sporadically found inside the root epidermal cells of three plant species. Seven AMF species (Glomeromycota) found in the trap cultures established with soils surrounding roots of the plants being studied were reported for the first time from this region of Asia. Our results provide information that might well be of use to the conservation and restoration programmes of these valuable plant species. The potential application of beneficial root-inhabiting fungi in active plant protection projects of rare, endemic and endangered plants is discussed