SOIL PARAMETERS AND HOST PLANT ASSOCIATED WITH ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAS IN MAGELLANIC STEPPE OF TIERRA DEL FUEGO

MENDOZA R, M CABELLO , J ANCHORENA , I GARCÍA AND L MARBÁN

Rosario Santa Fe

Congreso; XXII Congreso Argentino de la Ciencia del Suelo; 2010

Asociación Argentina de la Ciencia del Suelo

Sheep grazing in Northern Tierra del Fuego (Maguellanic steppe) determinates soils of high fertility associated to vegetations of high forage value and soils of low fertility of vegetations of low forage value. AM spores in rhizosphere soil of P. rigidifolia and D. flexuosa differed among environments and each AM spore family was associated to a specific soil environment. There was an association between AM spore family and soil environment, and AM spores could be used as bioindicators in grassland from Tierra del Fuego. The results suggest that the soil factors are more important than plant host in describing both AM spore density and spore family present at different soil sites   KEYWORDS: soil properties, plant communities, arbuscular mycorrhizas