Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi improved plant growth and nutrient acquisition of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta under variable soil water conditions

Desert ephemeral plants play an important role in desert ecosystem.Soil water availability is considered as the major restrictive factor limiting the growth of ephemeral plants.Moreover,arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AM fungi) are widely reported to improve the growth of desert ephemerals.The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of that AM fungi could alleviate drought stress of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta,and AM fungal functions reduced with the improvement of soil water content.A pot experiment was carried out with three levels of soil water contents(4.5%,9.0%,and 15.8%(w/w)),and three AM inoculation treatments(Glomus mosseae,Glomus etunicatum and non-inoculation).The results indicate that mycorrhizal colonization rate decreased with the increase of soil water availability.Inoculation improved plant growth and N,P and K acquisition in both shoots and roots regardless water treatments.When comparing the two fungi,plants inoculated with G.mosseae performed better than those inoculated with G.etunicatum in terms of plant growth and nutrient acquisition.These results showed that ameliorative soil water did not suppress arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal functions in improving growth and nutrient acquisition of desert ephemeral Plantago minuta.     

Combined effects of snow depth and nitrogen addition on ephemeral growth at the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China

Water and nitrogen(N) inputs are considered as the two main limiting factors affecting plant growth.Changes in these inputs are expected to alter the structure and composition of the plant community,thereby influencing biodiversity and ecosystem function.Snowfall is a form of precipitation in winter,and snow melting can recharge soil water and result in a flourish of ephemerals during springtime in the Gurbantunggut Desert,ChinaA bi-factor experiment was designed and deployed during the snow-covering season from 2009 to 2010.The experiment aimed to explore the effects of different snow-covering depths and N addition levels on ephemerals.Findings indicated that deeper snow cover led to the increases in water content in topsoil as well as density and coverage of ephemeral plants in the same N treatment;by contrast,N addition sharply decreased the density of ephemerals in the same snow treatment.Meanwhile,N addition exhibited a different effect on the growth of ephemeral plants:in the 50% snow treatment,N addition limited the growth of ephemeral plants,showing that the height and the aboveground biomass of the ephemeral plants were lower than in those without N addition;while with the increases in snow depth(100% and 150% snow treatments),N addition benefited the growth of the dominant individual plants.Species richness was not significantly affected by snow in the same N treatment.However,N addition significantly decreased the species richness in the same snow-covering depth.The primary productivity of ephemerals in the N addition increased with the increase of snow depth.These variations indicated that the effect of N on the growth of ephemerals was restricted by water supply.With plenty of water(100% and 150% snow treatments),N addition contributed to the growth of ephemeral plants;while with less water(50% snow treatment),N addition restricted the growth of ephemeral plants.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community structure and diversity are affected by host plant species and soil depth in the Mu Us Desert,northwest China

The vertical diversity and distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi were investigated in the Mu Us Desert, northwest China. Soils were sampled to 50?cm in depth in the rhizospheres of Hedysarum laeve, Artemisia ordosica, and Psammochloa villosa and 44 AM fungal species belonging to 10 genera were isolated. Several of these species have peculiar morphological features, which are distinct from other habitats. AM fungal diversity and distribution differed significantly among the three host plants and the five soil layers. Spore density, species richness, and the Shannon-Wiener index of AM fungi were 0.55–4.3 spores g^?1 soil, 7–36 and 1.78–2.89, respectively. Spore density and species richness had a significant positive correlation with soil total phosphorus content (0.0377–0.1129?mg?g^?1), and a negative correlation with soil pH (7.19–7.64). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling, PerMANOVA, and structural equation model analysis demonstrated that host plant species and soil depth significantly and directly influenced the structure of AM fungal communities. We concluded that diversity and distribution of AM fungi might be influenced by plant species, soil depth patterns, and soil nutrient availability in desert ecosystems. This research into AM fungal communities may lead to the development of AM fungi treatment for the mitigation of soil erosion and desertification using mycorrhizal plants, such as H. laeve, A. ordosica, and P. villosa.     

丛枝菌根真菌和甜菜夜蛾的相互作用

为探索丛枝菌根(arbuscular mycorrhiza,AM)真菌与植食性昆虫的相互作用,将摩西管柄囊霉(Funneliformis mosseae BEG167,Fm)、根内球囊霉(Glomus intraradices BEG141,Gi)和地表球囊霉(Glomus versiforme Berch,Gv)3种AM真菌以及甜菜夜蛾Spodoptera exigua分别接种至花生和番茄上,通过测定AM真菌的侵染定殖和甜菜夜蛾的生长发育指标分析AM真菌与甜菜夜蛾的相互作用。结果显示,甜菜夜蛾取食菌根花生植株后,Fm、Gv和Gi的侵染率和泡囊数均有增加,侵染率分别是未取食的1.15、1.10和1.11倍,而Fm的泡囊数增加最显著,是未取食的1.27倍。在菌根番茄植株上,Fm和Gv的侵染率显著增加,分别是未取食的1.24倍和1.94倍,Fm、Gv和Gi的泡囊数均显著增加,分别是未取食的1.50、1.98和1.42倍。甜菜夜蛾取食菌根花生和菌根番茄植株后,幼虫存活率下降,幼虫历期和蛹期明显延长;Fm对其影响最显著,甜菜夜蛾在花生上的存活率、幼虫历期和蛹期分别为26.67%、26.78 d和10.67 d,在番茄上分别为35.52%、24.33 d和10.39 d,与取食非菌根植株处理差异显著。表明甜菜夜蛾能在一定程度上促进AM真菌的侵染和定殖,而AM真菌能抑制甜菜夜蛾的生长和发育,但其影响因AM真菌种类而不同。     

内蒙古荒漠地区丛枝菌根植物的初步研究

本文对内蒙古荒漠建群及优势植物的丛枝菌根共生状况进行了调查。在观察的16科76种植物中,被丛枝菌根真菌侵染的植物有61(占79. 8% )种;其中多年生草本植物被丛枝菌根真菌侵染的比例较高,占94. 46%;而一年生和二年生的草本植物的比例仅65%。须根系植物中菌根植物约占91. 3%,高于直根系(75. 5% )。古地中海孑遗种四合木(Tetraenamongolica)、棉刺(Potaniniamongolica)、沙冬青(Ammopiptanthusmongolicus)和强旱生植物半日花(Helianthemumsoongoricum)有一定的菌根侵染。本地区野生植物的丛枝菌根形态结构类型多数为Arum类型,占83. 6%;而Paris类型少,只占3. 3%。丛枝菌根结构类型与植物的生活型、根系类型和侵染率无关。     

Differences in response of desert plants of different ecotypes to climate warming:a case study in Minqin, Northwest China

Globally climates are warming.How do desert plants of different ecotypes respond to the climate change?This paper studied the differing responses to climate warming shown by desert plants of different ecotypes through analyzing the phenology and meteorological data of 22 desert plant species growing in Minqin Desert Botanical Garden in Northwest China during the period 1974–2009.The results indicate:(1)The temperature in the study area has risen quickly since 1974,and plants’growing periods became longer.The spring phenology of mesophytes advanced,and the autumn phenology of xerophytes was delayed;(2)The starting dates of spring phenophase of mesophytes and xerophytes differed significantly and both showed an advancing trend;(3)The spring phenology of mesophytes advanced by more days than that of xerophytes,whereas the autumn phenology of mesophytes was delayed by less days than that of the xerophytes;and(4)Mesophytes are more sensitive than xerophytes to rising temperature in spring and falling temperature in autumn.These findings are of value in plant management and regional introduction of different species.     

Phenology of desert plants from an arid gravel plain in eastern United Arab Emirates

Phenological events for desert plants were recorded and rainfall and temperature data were gathered over a three-year time scale at a gravel plain in the eastern region of the United Arab Emirates. Variations of phenological periods were analyzed and correlations between phenological periods and climate factors were discussed. The study showed that the growth and flowering of therophytes were significantly correlated with air temperature. The timing and abundance of rainfall came to be another factor significantly correlated with the onset and duration of chamaephyte flowering as well as the duration of therophyte growth and flowering. The variation in rainfall did not affect the onset of flowering in phanerophytes. Peak growing seasons were from November to March and flowering from November to December(also February to March depending on the availability of rainfall). Flowering in phanerophytes and chamaephytes occurs 4–6 weeks and in therophytes 4–8 weeks after rain. The results showed that variations in growth and phenology between species were correlated with environmental factors, such as temperature and rainfall or, maybe, differences in life form and photosynthetic pathways, each being adapted for utilizing a particular phase of the seasonally and yearly variable rainfall. The sequence of flowering for the species under study was more or less constant despite the difference in the amount of rainfall. The fruiting patterns of most of the species were also found parallel to their flowering patterns. Our results emphasized the need to study multiple species at many sites for the understanding and forecast of regional changes in phenology.     

Is bi-seasonal germination an optimal choice for an ephemeral plant living in a cold desert?

Research on germination strategies has been proposed as a tool for understanding the evolutionary patterns of plant species living in extreme climate conditions. Previous research has concentrated on spring-germinated plants, while there has been little investigation on the ecological significance of ephemeral plants that germinate in both autumn and spring. The biological characteristics and life history strategies of autumn-and spring-germinated plants of Hypecoum erectum L. that belongs to Hypecoum in Papaveraceae family in the southern part of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, were investigated from 2016 to 2017. Results showed that:(1) the interval from seedling emergence to the end of the life cycle in autumn-germinated plants(202–208 d) was significantly longer than that in spring-germinated plants(53–65 d);(2) the height, crown, principal axis and the number of leaves of autumn-germinated plants were much greater than those of spring-germinated plants;(3) allocation of dry mass to reproduction was 30.24%(±2.41%) and 10.12%(±0.68%) in autumn-and spring-germinated plants, respectively. Autumn-germinated seedlings of H. erectum had an advantage in avoiding the competition between annual and perennial herbs that had longer periods of vegetative growth.Spring-germinated seedlings need to ensure the survival of population when only a fewer autumn-germinated seedlings successfully overwinter. In an unpredictable environment, the germination strategy of bet hedging not only utilizes the resources and reduces the competition intensity in offspring,but also ensures the survival of the plant population.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal association in Asteraceae plants growing in the arid lands of Saudi Arabia

The present research was undertaken to explor the possibility of arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) association with Asteraceae plants in the arid lands of Saudi Arabia(Al-Ghat, Buraydah, Thumamah and Huraymila). AM fungal colonization in the roots, spore numbers in the rhizosphere soil, fungal species diversity and correlation between AM properties and soil properties were determined. The highest colonization was in Conyza bonariensis(65%) from Al-Ghat, Anthemis cotula(52%) from Buraydah and C. bonariensis(53%) from Thumamah. The lowest was in Vernonia schimperi(41%) from Al-Ghat, Pulicaria undulata(25%) from Buraydah, Acanthospermum hispidum(34%) from Thumamah, Asteriscus graveolens(22%) and V. schimperi(22%) from Huraymila. Vesicular and arbuscular colonization were also presented in all plant species examined. The number of spores were 112–207 in Al-Ghat, 113–133 in Buraydah, 87–148 in Thumamah and 107–158 in Huraymila. Funneliformis mosseae, Glomus etunicatum, G. fasciculatum and G. aggregatum were identified. Relative frequency of AM fungal species varied widely and was irrespective of location and plant species. Diversity index varied with the rhizosphere soils of different plant species at various locations. Soil properties varied with locations and no distinct correlations were observed among the soil properties, root colonization and the number of spores. The results of the present study specified the association of AM fungi in different plants of Asteraceae and its significance in the ecological functioning of annual plants in the punitive environments of the rangelands in Saudi Arabia.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠西南部的短命植物及其新记录种

本文采用野外实地调查、标本整理及资料查阅的方法,研究塔克拉玛干沙漠西南部荒漠环境的短命植物,分析其种类组成、生活型特征(物候特性)和植物区系类型。结果:①研究区的短命植物种类有十字花科、禾本科、菊科、紫草科、茄科、车前科、罂粟科及牻牛儿苗科等8科21属的27种,其中十字花科有15种。新记录种有卷果涩荠、大蒜芥、蝎尾菊、偏穗雀麦、旱麦草、中亚天仙子、牻牛儿苗、垂果大蒜芥及砂蓝刺头等10种,占该区域短命植物的37%。②该区域短命植物生活史特征有夏性、冬性及春性。③该区域短命植物分别属于北温带分布、地中海-西亚至中亚分布、旧世界温带分布、世界分布及中亚分布,其中北温带分布及地中海-西亚至中亚分布的植物有15种,占研究区统计种类的51. 86%。该研究结果丰富了新疆南部特殊生境下的短命植物类群,为开发和保护该地区植物种质资源及揭示短命植物对不同生态环境的响应具有重要意义。     

AM真菌对红花生长及其有效成分的影响

丛枝菌根(Arbuscular mycorrhizas,AM)真菌是土壤生态系统中广泛分布的优秀微生物资源,是具有重要经济价值的药用植物。本文基于人工培育条件下对中药材红花(Carthamus tinctorius)分别进行摩西球囊霉(Glomus mosseae)、根内球囊霉(Glomus intraradices)和混合菌(G. mosseae,Glomus etunicatum,Glomus microagregatum,Glomus caledonium,Glomus cladoideum和G. intraradices) 3种AM真菌接种处理,并以接种等量灭活菌种作为对照组处理。采用高效液相色谱法测定不同采摘时期红花绒中羟基红花黄色素A和山奈素含量的变化。结果表明:与对照组相比,AM真菌接种处理显著促进了红花生物量的积累,且AM真菌混合接种效果显著高于AM真菌单接种;在次生代谢产物合成方面,AM真菌接种处理以及不同采摘期的红花中羟基红花黄色素A和山奈素的含量差异不显著。表明AM真菌虽能促进红花的生长,但不影响羟基红花黄色素A和山奈素的合成。     

河北中部药用植物AM真菌生态学研究

2005年8月和10月,对河北省安国市境内种植的9种药用植物AM真菌侵染状况及与土壤因子的相关性进行了调查分析.结果表明,9种药用植物都能与AM真菌形成良好的共生关系,不同药用植物形成菌根的能力不同.形成的菌根包括重楼型(Paris-type)和疆南星型(Arum-type)2种类型.土壤碱解N与丹参和麻山药的孢子密度、北沙参菌丝定殖率和总定殖率呈显著正相关,与紫苑丛枝定殖率呈显著负相关.土壤速效P与丹参丛技定殖率、麻山药泡囊定殖率呈显著正相关,与桔梗孢子密度、白术泡囊定殖率呈显著负相关.土壤有机质与北柴胡孢子密度呈显著负相关.土壤pH与北沙参菌丝定殖率和总定殖率、北柴胡孢子密度呈显著负相关,与北沙参孢子密度呈显著正相关.     

Ecological biomass allocation strategies in plant species with different life forms in a cold desert,China

Biomass allocation patterns among plant species are related to their adaptive ecological strategies. Ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual plant life forms represent three typical growth strategies of plants that grow in autumn and early spring in the cold deserts of China. These plants play an important role in reducing wind velocity in the desert areas. However, despite numerous studies, the strategies of biomass allocation among plant species with these three life forms remain contentious. In this study, we conducted a preliminary quadrat study during 2014-2016 in the southern part of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, to investigate the allocation patterns of above-ground biomass (AGB) and below-ground biomass (BGB) at the individual level in 17 ephemeral, 3 ephemeroid and 4 annual plant species. Since ephemeral plants can germinate in autumn, we also compared biomass allocation patterns between plants that germinated in autumn 2015 and spring 2016 for 4 common ephemeral species. The healthy mature individual plants of each species were sampled and the AGB, BGB, total biomass (TB), leaf mass ratio (LMR) and root/shoot ratio (R/S) were calculated for 201 sample quadrats in the study area. We also studied the relationships between AGB and BGB of plants with the three different life forms (ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual). The mean AGB values of ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual plants were 0.806, 3.759 and 1.546 g/plant, respectively, and the mean BGB values were 0.106, 4.996 and 0.166 g/plant, respectively. The mean R/S value was significantly higher in ephemeroid plants (1.675) than in ephemeral (0.154) and annual (0.147) plants. The mean LMR was the highest in annual plants, followed by ephemeroid plants and ephemeral plants, reflecting the fact that annual plants allocate more biomass to leaves, associated with their longer life span. Biomass of ephemeral plants that germinated in autumn was significantly higher than those of corresponding plants that germinated in spring in terms of AGB, BGB and TB. However, the R/S value was similar in plants that germinated in autumn and spring. The slope of regression relationship between AGB and BGB differed significantly among the three plant life forms. These results support different biomass allocation hypotheses. Specifically, at the individual level, the AGB and BGB partitioning supports the allometric hypothesis for ephemeroid and annual plants and the isometric hypothesis for ephemeral plants.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal colonization of Glycyrrhiza glabra roots enhances plant biomass,phosphorus uptake and concentration of root secondary metabolites

Arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM)fungi penetrate the cortical cells of the roots of vascular plants,and are widely distributed in soil.The formation of these symbiotic bodies accelerates the absorption and utilization of mineral elements,enhances plant resistance to stress,boosts the growth of plants,and increases the survival rate of transplanted seedlings.We studied the effects of various arbuscular mycorrhizae fungi on the growth and development of licorice(Glycyrrhiza glabra).Several species of AM,such as Glomus mosseae,Glomus intraradices,and a mixture of fungi(G.mosseae,G.intraradices,G.cladoideum,G.microagregatum,G.caledonium and G.etunicatum)were used in our study.Licorice growth rates were determined by measuring the colonization rate of the plants by the fungi,plant dry biomass,phosphorus concentration and concentration of secondary metabolites.We established two cloned strains of licorice,clone 3(C3)and clone 6(C6)to exclude the effect of genotypic variations.Our results showed that the AM fungi could in fact increase the leaf and root biomass,as well as the phosphorus concentration in each clone.Furthermore,AM fungi significantly increased the yield of certain secondary metabolites in clone 3.Our study clearly demonstrated that AM fungi play an important role in the enhancement of growth and development of licorice plants.There was also a significant improvement in the secondary metabolite content and yield of medicinal compounds from the roots.     

古尔班通古特沙漠南缘的主要植物群落类型和饲用植物

古尔班通古特沙漠南缘.具有中亚西部——哈萨克斯坦荒漠的典型气候特征,水平地带性植被是小半乔木、半灌木和小半灌木荒漠,盐生植物群落也有广泛发育。根据生态生物学特性和饲用价值,可作为家畜采食的饲用植物可分为小半乔木、沙旱生灌木、盐中生灌木、盐柴类半灌木和小半灌木、多汁盐柴类半灌木和小半灌木、蒿类、短命和类短命植物、多年生草类和一年生盐柴类植物等生态经济类群。从土地的利用角度出发,该区的植被及其饲用植物资源宜作为骆驼、山羊和三北羊等家畜的春秋和冬季放牧利用。     

荒漠生态系统中丛枝菌根真菌多样性

到目前为止,在全球荒漠生态系统中,共报道了69个科389种丛枝菌根真菌的寄主植物,其中,Compositae,Gramineae和Leguminosae 3个科的植物为荒漠生态系统中丛枝菌根真菌寄主植物的优势类群;共发表了7个属的89种丛枝菌根真菌,其中,Acaulospora和Glomus 属的真菌为荒漠生态系统中的优势类群.在此基础上,分析了荒漠生态系统中AM真菌多样性研究中存在的问题,并探讨了荒漠生态系统中AM真菌的研究方向.     

Three-way fungal interactions affect the potential biological control of Himalayan balsam,Impatiens glandulifera

Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) is one of the most invasive weeds across Europe. The rust fungus, Puccinia komarovii var. glanduliferae has been introduced as a biological control agent, but success has been patchy. Here, we investigated whether mycorrhizal and endophytic fungi can affect rust efficacy and plant growth. Over three experiments, we found that AM fungi and the rust alone or together consistently reduced plant growth, but this depended on the identity of species in the AM inoculum. Meanwhile, AM fungi increased infection frequency of the endophyte Colletotrichum acutatum. Rust inoculation had no detrimental effects on mycorrhizal colonisation or C. acutatum infection, but the latter two fungi reduced rust sporulation. However, plant size was reduced when all three fungal types were present, suggesting that a combined fungal inoculum offers a promising approach for the control of this weed.     

北苍术根区土壤中AM真菌多样性及其与土壤养分相关性分析

本研究采用Illumina MiSeq高通量测序技术,对河北承德栽培和野生北苍术根区土壤AM真菌群落多样性的差异和群落组成进行了检测,同时解析了土壤养分因子对AM真菌群落多样性的影响。结果显示,北苍术根区土壤中检测的AM-OTU分属于1门1纲5目6科8属AM真菌。野生北苍术AM真菌群落由球囊霉属（77.20%）等组成;栽培北苍术由巨孢囊霉属（34.48%~47.20%）、球囊霉属（30.05%~53.7%）等组成;土壤有机质、pH、有效磷、有效钾与AM真菌多样性指数Shannon、Simpsoneven呈正相关,其中有机质对AM真菌群落多样性影响最大。硼与AM真菌多样性指数Shannon、Simpsoneven、Sobs均呈正相关,铁、铜、锰、锌与之呈负相关。本研究阐明了野生与栽培北苍术根区AM真菌多样性及优势菌群差异,揭示了土壤养分因子与其多样性间的关系,为AM真菌在北苍术仿野生栽培中的应用提供了理论依据。     

荒漠区一年生植物层片的组织格局与生态适应模式

在阿拉善荒漠及其邻近地区 ,有多种一年生植物种群可组成荒漠与绿洲生态系统的恒有性植物层片。本项研究利用样地调查与统计资料 ,取得了多种一年生植物层片物种组成的研究结果 ;在吉兰泰盐湖地区、腾格里沙漠东南部、雅布赖低山区、孪井滩地区、祁连山山麓、额济纳绿洲等地 ,对一年生植物种群生物产量的季节与年度间的波动性进行了调查和测定 ,并与相关的气象资料做了比对分析 ,获得了气候年、季变化与一年生植物层片动态的相关性认识。据此 ,划分了一年生植物层片的生态类型。荒漠与绿洲生态系统中 ,主要的一年生植物层片有 :.荒漠夏雨型一年生禾草类植物层片 ,荒漠一年生杂草类植物层片 ,沙漠一年生沙生植物层片 ,盐漠一年生盐生植物层片 ,绿洲草甸一年生植物层片 ,绿洲胡杨林一年生植物层片 ,柽柳灌丛一年生植物层片 ,绿洲农田一年生杂草植物层片等。多数一年生植物种是在荒漠优势植物株丛间的裸斑土壤种子库中 ,有丰富的种子储备 ,利用夏季较为集中的降雨迅速萌发生长到结实 ,完成一个短暂的生活周期。也有些一年生植物在沙质土、盐渍土、草甸土等特异性生境中各自具有有效的生态适应机制 ,组成沙漠、盐漠、绿洲林地与草地的一年生植物层片。这些一年生植物层片的组织格局 ,生态适应模式 ,生态功能     

Effect of native and allochthonous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on Casuarina equisetifolia growth and its root bacterial community

Exotic trees are often planted to recover degraded lands. Inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi can improve their survival. Plant growth is partly dependent on the strain used, but little attention has been paid to the selection of mycorrhizal fungi. The aim of this study was to determine whether the growth of Casuarina equisetifolia L. (Johnson) is affected by two different mycorrhizal inocula generated using fungal spores retrieved from an Australian site (allochthonous soil) and a Senegalese site (native soil) under C. equisetifolia trees. Comparative experiments were conducted with plants in a Senegalese soil, previously sterilized or not, and grown in a greenhouse. At harvest, parameters related to plant growth and mycorrhization were evaluated and soil bacterial communities were compared. Tree growth was significantly influenced by both types of inoculants. In unsterilized soil, plants inoculated with the native inoculant were taller than plants inoculated with the allochthonous inoculant and control plants. The frequency of mycorrhization with both inoculants was higher in unsterilized soil. The strongest effects of the mycorhizosphere on the soil microbiome were obtained with the allochthonous inoculum, and analysis of the taxonomic composition revealed mycorrhizal communities specific to each inoculum. These results suggest that the development of C. equisetifolia and its root bacterial community are dependent on the composition of the mycorrhizal inoculum. The functional consequences of this rhizosphere effect in terms of soil fertility should be further studied to better guide reforestation operations.