Soil infectivity and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities in four urban green sites in central Argentina

BUIL, P.A.; RENISON, D.; BECERRA, A.G.

URBAN FORESTRY & URBAN GREENING

ELSEVIER GMBH

Año: 2021

1618-8667

Many cities around the globe need to create urban forests to improve human health and welfare. Frequently, the only available land has compacted and degraded soils with an altered soil biota. Studies are needed to address fungal biodiversity especially that of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), essential for plant development. The aim of the study was to evaluate the AMF community composition and soil infectivity in four urban sites with different disturbance levels and management histories (Córdoba, Argentina). In two urban forests (reference and restored) and two parklands (forested and control), indigenous AMF morphospecies, soil compaction and dominant plant cover were determined together with the soil infectivity in a greenhouse experiment. Results indicated that AMF communities were dominated by Funneliformis geosporum, Glomus brohultii and Rhizophagus intraradices which are considered generalists and resilient to harsh environmental conditions. The richness, diversity and soil infectivity were higher in both urban forests compared to parklands and was partially related with the greater variety of plant physiognomies (in restored site), the lowest soil compaction and the arboreal stratum dominance (in reference site). Both parklands showed the lowest arbuscular mycorrhizal spore densities, richness and diversity but this difference was not significant when compared to the forests. The greater subsoil compaction and the high percentage of herbaceous vegetation (mainly monospecific lawn) represented the most disturbed conditions as a consequence of the trampling and subsequent soil erosion. We conclude that differences existed between urban forests and parklands sites as a result of variable disturbance intensities and management histories, however, the parameters analyzed here do not fully describe the effects of local urban conditions in the composition and functioning of AMF, and hence future research approaches are discussed.