Status micorrícico de la flora del Parque Nacional Sierras de las Quijadas (San Luis, Argentina). II. Bromeliaceae.

M. G. MOLINA, CRESPO E. M. Y M. A. LUGO.

San Luis

Congreso; XXII Reunión Científica Anual de la Soc. de Biología de Cuyo; 2004

Sociedad de Biología de Cuyo

Roots of most plants are associated with glomalean fungi by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizas (VAM) and hence a wide range of plants are symptomless colonized by ascomycetous dark septate (DS) fungi. These symbiotic associations improve host nutrition and survival or have no negative effects on the host. Epiphytic vascular plants are VAM and mainly widespread in tropical humid forest. Bromeliaceae have epiphytic (E) and terrestrial (T) species and its mycorrhizal status is poorly studied. "Sierra de las Quijadas" National Park is an arid area at NW of San Luis province. There are 45 families of vascular plants, and Bromeliaceae has 9 species. The aim of this work was to study the mycorrhizal status in E and T Bromeliaceae into the Park. Six Bromeliaceae taxa (2 T and 4 E) were collected in summer and autumn; in each sample, roots were washed, fixed, clarified, stained, placed onto slides and observed under microscope to detect the symbiotic relationship. Terrestrial Bromeliaceae were VAM and epiphytes were DS colonized. DS association of epiphytic Bromeliaceae differed from the VAM found in cloud forest, environmental features would be determined to the type of association formed because DS are mutualistic in very harsh ecosystems. Terrestrial species were VAM as some Bromeliaceae members according to the arid conditions of the Park and the higher spores availability in the soil.