Pinus taeda L changes arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities in a brazilian subtropical ecosystem

Abstract

Invasive exotic plant species plays a key role in changing symbionts’ community composition and soil biochemical traits into invaded areas. Our aim was to figure out whether the P. taeda alters the AMF community and soil biochemical traits when compared with a natural ecosystem and an agroforestry system of the Southern Brazil. We found the highest values of litter deposition, total nitrogen, AMF richness, Shannon’s diversity, Simpson’s dominance, root colonization, and plant P content on plots with P. taeda. By using the structural equation modelling, we found that the P. taeda positively affected the abundance of C. claroideum, C. etunicatum, F. mosseae, and Glomus sp., root colonization, plant P content, and litter deposition, and negatively affected Olsen’s available P, soil organic carbon, and microbial biomass carbon. The results of our study highlighted the importance of considering monostands of P. taeda with high AMF richness and Shannon’s diversity. Thus, long-term experiments considering areas dominated by an invasive exotic plant species, and areas under an assisted forest regeneration (agroforestry systems) may exploit interesting results in subtropical conditions.