Biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in roots and soils of two salt marshes.

The occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was assessed by both morphological and molecular criteria in two salt marshes: (i) a NaCl site of the island Terschelling, Atlantic Coast, the Netherlands and (ii) a K(2)CO(3) marsh at Schreyahn, Northern Germany. The overall biodiversity of AMF, based on sequence analysis, was comparably low in roots at both sites. However, the morphological spore analyses from soil samples of both sites exhibited a higher AMF biodiversity.

Colonization of pennycresses (Thlaspi spp.) of the Brassicaceae by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

Members of the Brassicaceae are generally believed to be non-mycorrhizal. Pennycress (Thlaspi) species of this family from diverse locations in Slovenia, Austria, Italy and Germany were examined for their colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Meadow species (T.

The arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus geosporum in European saline, sodic and gypsum soils.

Plants of saline and sodic soils of the Hungarian steppe and of gypsum rock in the German Harz mountains, thus soils of high ionic strength and electric conductivity, were examined for their colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Roots of several plants of the saline and sodic soils such as Artemisia maritima, Aster tripolium or Plantago maritima are strongly colonized and show typical AMF structures (arbuscules, vesicles) whereas others like the members of the Chenopodiaceae, Salicornia europaea, Suaeda maritima or Camphorosma annua, are not. The vegetation of the gypsum rock is totally different, but several plants are also strongly colonized there.