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Effect of long-term nitrogen fertilization on mycorrhizal fungi associated with a dominant grass in a semiarid grassland

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Abstract

We studied the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in semiarid grassland and the effect of long-term nitrogen (N) fertilization on this fungal community. Root samples of Bouteloua gracilis were collected at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (New Mexico, USA) from control and N-amended plots that have been fertilized since 1995. Small subunit rDNA was amplified using AMF specific primers NS31 and AM1. The diversity of AMF was low in comparison with other ecosystems, only seven operational taxonomic units (OTU) were found in B. gracilis and all belong to the genus Glomus. The dominant OTU was closely related to the ubiquitous G. intraradices/G. fasciculatum group. N-amended plots showed a reduction in the abundance of the dominant OTU and an increase in AMF diversity. The greater AMF diversity in roots from N-amended plots may have been the result of displacement of the dominant OTU, which facilitated detection of uncommon AMF. The long-term implications of AMF responses to N enrichment for plant carbon allocation and plant community structure remain unclear.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Kendra Lipinsky and William H. Dvorachek for their help processing the samples, Esteban Araya for writing the program to organize the sequence database and technical assistance with Linux, and George Rosenberg for assistance with the sequencing and databases. This research was supported by the National Science Foundation Long Term Ecological Research Program at the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge (DEB-0217774) and a grant from National Science Foundation Ecosystem Sciences Program (DEB 0516113).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, MSC03 2020, 1 The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA

    Andrea Porras-Alfaro, Donald O. Natvig & Robert L. Sinsabaugh

  2. Division of Science, 100 E. Normal, Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, 63501, USA

    Jose Herrera

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  1. Andrea Porras-Alfaro
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  2. Jose Herrera
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Correspondence to Andrea Porras-Alfaro.

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Porras-Alfaro, A., Herrera, J., Natvig, D.O. et al. Effect of long-term nitrogen fertilization on mycorrhizal fungi associated with a dominant grass in a semiarid grassland. Plant Soil 296, 65–75 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-007-9290-9

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