Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity and its relationship with soil environmental factors in different soil types

Rhizospheric soil samples were collected from 5 soil types (dark loessial soil, cumulated irrigated soil, cultivated loessial soil, sierozems and aeolian soil) in 6 sampling sites (Liupanshan Mountain forest land, Yinchuan farmland, Nuanquan farmland, Guyuan farmland, Yanchi desert and Lingwu desert) with gramineae vegetation communities. Then the relationship between Arbuscular mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and soil environmental factors was investigated. Based on spore morphological characteristics, a total of 5 genera and 48 species of AMF were found in five soil types. Specifically, there were 1 Acaulospora, 3 Gigaspora, 37 Glomus, 1 Paraglomus and 6 Scutellospora species. From the 6 sampling sites, Glomus was the most dominant genera and G. geosporum and G. manihotis were the most dominant species. Obviously differences were noted in AMF genus frquencies at each sampling site. Glomus was found at every site, its frequency was the highest. Nuanquan farmlands with high plant diversities had relatively high AMF species abundance and diversity. The effects of soil environmental factors on AMF spore density changed with soil and vegetation type. Based on axial principal analysis, total salt, pH, available potassium and available phosphorus mostly explained the relationship between AMF spore density and soil fertility. To a certain degree, the species and distribution of AMF corresponded with vegetation type, plant diversity and soil fertility at the various sampling sites.