| Abstract Detail
Ecological Section Perumal, John [1]. The Effects of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi on the Growth and Establishment of Muhlenbergia rigens (Deer grass) in the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve. Almost all natural plant communities contain arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). It was hypothesized that the growth and establishment of Muhlenbergia rigens in the Santa Rosa Ecological Preserve (SREP) would be strongly influenced by AMF. Twelve established culms of M. rigens plants were randomly chosen from SREP. Approximately 50 g of small and fine roots were collected from each of the culms of M. rigens. The roots were washed in deionized water and then fixed in FAA solution for about 12 -16 hours, then the roots were cleared with KOH at 121 degrees Celsius for 10 min. The roots were then stained in Chlorazol Black-E and incubated at 60 degrees Celsius for 3 hours. Slides of the roots were prepared and observed under a microscope at 200X to determine the presence of AMF colonization. The presence of AMF was evidence by the hyphae, arbuscules and vesicles that were observed in the root samples of M. rigens obtained from SREP. A greenhouse experiment was then conducted in winter of 2003 to determine the effects of AMF on the net CO2 exchange rate (CER), and total biomass on M. rigens which was grown with and without AMF. CER was measured using a LI-COR portable photosynthesis gas analyzer (Li-6200) and the readings were taken three times, 99, 113 and 127 days after treatments were initiated. The total biomass was obtained when the experiment was concluded after the 3rd CER readings were taken. Inoculums for the experiments were obtained from corn plants which were grown with M. rigens roots, obtained from SREP and the infected corn roots were then used as inoculum. Preliminary results from the experiments clearly showed that plants grown in AMF have greater biomass and higher rates of CER then plants grown in the absence of AMF.
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1 - 4500 Riverwalk Pwky, Biology Department Palmer Hall, Riverside, California, 92515, USA
Keywords:
Mycorrhizae
mycorrhizal colonization
carbondioxide exchange rate
inoculums.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 52-3
Location: Salon F - Austin Grand Ballroom/Hilton
Date: Wednesday, August 17th, 2005
Time: 2:00 PM
Abstract ID:133 |
