Impact of wildfire on soil characteristics and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

This study explored whether wildfire alters the soil properties and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community composition when compared with burnt rangeland, non-burnt rangeland and adjacent tilled in mesothermal ecosystems. The study was carried out in August 2020, 1 year later after wildfire. The results of this study showed that the wildfire played a key role in altering soil characteristics and AMF community composition in Bartin Province located in the Western Black Sea Region. Soil samples were made according to standard methods. AMF spores were isolated according to the wet sieving method, and the spores of AMF were identified according to their morphological characteristics. Analysis of variance was performed to determine the differences between the parameters, and correlation analysis was performed to determine the relationships between the parameters. The highest values of soil organic carbon (2.20%), total nitrogen (0.18%), K2O (74.68 kg/da), root colonization (87.5%) and the frequency of occurrence of Funneliformis geosporum (20%), Claroideoglomus claroideum (16%) and Claroideoglomus etunicatum (11%) were found in burnt rangeland. Sporulation of Acaulospora dilatata, Acaulospora morrowiae, Acaulospora tuberculata, Scutellospora castanea, Scutellospora coralloidea, Scutellospora scutata, Glomus coremioides and Glomus multicaule was either decreased or completely inhibited in the burnt rangeland. While species diversity of AMF (12) decreased, the number of AMF spores (325.6 (number/50 gr soil)) increased in burnt areas. In conclusion, the number of spores and root colonization of AMF increased but species diversity of AMF reduced after the wildfire. In ecosystems with high fire risk where AMF transfer is planned, it is suggested that it would be more appropriate to select species with an increase in spore number after fire.

Soil Characteristics and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi from Different Pasture Types: A Case Study in the Western Black Sea Region, Turkey.

This research was conducted to compare the soil characteristics and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore density from different types of pastures. To this purpose, four different areas were selected including an artificial pasture (AP), a fertilized artificial pasture (FAP), a natural pasture (NP), and a fertilized natural pasture (FNP). From the spring period of 2008, urea has been used as a fertilizer at an annual rate of 5 kg/da. Different numbers of AMF spores were found in all soil samples taken from the artificial and natural pastures. The average numbers of AMF spores in 50 g of soil from the AP, the FAP, the NP, and the FNP were determined as 266.9, 125.3, 117.0, and 59.6, respectively. Both the number of AMF spores and the number of species were found to be lower in the fertilized pastures, and consequently, it was concluded that the urea fertilizer had reduced the number of AMF spores and species. Spores were identified according to their morphological characteristics. In all pastures, the study identified 25 different AMF species belonging to 11 genera from 7 families. Rhizoglomus aggregatum was classified as the dominant species in FNP soils. Acaulospora dilatata, A. laevis, Dentiscutata heterogama, Diversispora eburnea, Gigaspora albida, G. margarita, Claroideoglomus etunicatum, C. lamellosum, Funneliformis caledonium, Glomus hoi, Rhizoglomus clarum, R. irregulare, Sclerocystis sinuosa, and Ambispora gerdemannii were classified as rare species in all pastures. This study demonstrated a negative correlation between the AMF spore density and the soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and available potassium.

The effect of different land uses on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the northwestern Black Sea Region.

The object of the present research was to establish correlations between the status of root colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and different types of land use. In order to achieve this aim, rhizosphere soil samples from grassland crops were taken during June and July of 2013 in order to use for determining several soil characteristics. The 27 different taxa and 60 soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere level in the study areas. The existence of AMF was confirmed in 100 % of these plants with different rations of colonization (approximately 12-89 %). Bromus racemosus L. (pasture) was the most dense taxon with the percentage of AMF colonization of 88.9 %, and Trifolium pratense L. (forest) was the least dense taxon with the percentage of AMF colonization of 12.2 % (average 52.0 %). As a result of the statistical analysis, a positive relationship was found between the botanical composition of legumes and AMF colonization (r = 0.35; p = 0.006). However, a negative relationship was determined between botanical composition of other plant families and AMF colonization (r = -0.39; p = 0.002). In addition, a positive relationship was defined between soil pH (H2O) and the root colonization of AMF (r = 0.35; p = 0.005). The pasture had the highest mean value of AMF root colonization. However, the pasture and gap in the forest were in the same group, according to the results of the S-N-K test.