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THE MYCORRHIZAE OF PIONEER SPECIES IN DISTURBED ECOSYSTEMS IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
Author(s) -
Medve Richard J.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
american journal of botany
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.218
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1537-2197
pISSN - 0002-9122
DOI - 10.1002/j.1537-2197.1984.tb14143.x
Subject(s) - biology , botany , revegetation , agronomy , ecological succession
Study plots with ten types of disturbances were established in a Solidago‐Aster community in western Pennsylvania. One year after disturbance, 93% of all species had vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) and accounted for 92% of all plant cover. After 3 yr, 96% of the species had VAM and 96% canopy coverage. An adjacent 10‐yr Solidago‐Aster community had 100% VAM species. The VAM annuals, Ambrosia artemisiifolia and Setaria glauca, were major first year dominants while VAM perennials, Agropyron repens, Solidago canadensis, and Aster ericoides, dominated at 3 yr. The mean percent mycorrhizae of all dominants at 1 yr was 39% and 34% at 3 yr. Four disturbed sites had 100% VAM colonization after 1 yr and six sites after 3 yr. Severe physical disturbances (topsoil removed and topsoil‐subsoil removed) resulted in complete colonization by VAM species and mean mycorrhizal infections of more than 75%. The plowed‐disked‐prometone and plowed‐disked‐vapam disturbances resulted in low levels of mycorrhizae after 3 yr. The plowed‐disked‐atrazine plot showed an initial severe decrease in percentage of mycorrhizae, but doubled its infection rate by 3 yr. Three non‐mycorrhizal species ( Chenopodium album, Rumex acetosella, and Polygonuspersicaria ) were observed during the 3‐yr period. C. album was the major dominant after 1 yr in the plowed‐disked‐fertilized site and R. acetosella a dominant in the plowed‐disked‐prometone plot.