Mycorrhiza of Brazil Pine (Araucaria angustifolia [Bert. O. Ktze.])

Abstract:

Tropical and subtropical forests once covered large areas of Central and South America. An important member of forests of the southern hemisphere is the genus Araucaria. Because of clear cutting only small remnants of Araucaria angustifolia forests still exist in Southern Brazil. Attempts at reforestation have had only limited success because of lack of knowledge about the environmental requirements of this species. This is especially true with respect to the root/fungus symbiosis (mycorrhiza) which is necessary for enhanced water and nutrient uptake and present in more than 90 % of land plants. Analysis of the root systems of Araucaria trees from forest and grassland (campo) sites revealed mycorrhizal structures (appressoria, penetration and coiled hyphae, vesicles, arbuscules, spores) which are characteristic for the arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) type. The spores of AM fungi at both sites - forest and campo - were identified. The biodiversity at the forest site was much higher, with 13 species, whereas only 6 different species could be identified at the campo site. Glomus and Acaulospora were the only genera present at the campo. The forest, however, also contained spores of Entrophospora and Scutellospora. In addition to the greater biodiversity, the spore number in soil as well as the percent mycorrhizal colonization in roots were significantly higher at the forest site than at the campo site. Because of the low frequency of hyphal coils and the dominating intercellular growth of hyphae, these mycorrhizas can be classified as an Arum-type, which is the first report of this kind in gymnosperms.

Key words:

Araucaria angustifolia - Arum-type mycorrhiza - arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi - diversity.

References

• 01 Amaranthus,  M. P.. (1992) Mycorrhizas, forest disturbance and regeneration in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Mycorrhizas in ecosystems. Read, D. J., Lewis, D. H., Fitter, A. H., and Alexander, I.¿J., eds. Cambridge, UK; CAB International 207
• 02 Antunes,  V., and Cardoso,  E. J. B. N.. (1991);  Growth and nutrient status of citrus plants as influenced by mycorrhiza and phosphorus application.  Plant and Soil. 131 (1) 11-20
• 03 Barrett,  B.. (1958);  Synthesis of mycorrhiza with pure cultures of Rhizophagus. .  Phytopathology. 48 391
• 04 Bevege,  D. I.,, Bowen,  G. D.,, and Skinner,  M. F.. (1975) Comparative physiology of ecto- and endomycorrhizas. Endomycorrhizas. Sanders, F. E., Mosse, B., and Tinker, P. B., eds. London, UK; Academic Press 174
• 05 Bonfante-Fasolo,  P., and Fontana,  A.. (1985);  VAM fungi in Gingko biloba roots - their interactions at the cellular level.  Symbiosis. 1 53-67
• 06 Bonfante,  P., and Bianciotto,  V.. (1995) Presymbiontic versus symbiontic phase in arbuscular endomycorrhizal fungi: morphology and cytology. Mycorrhiza. Varma, A. and Hock, B., eds. Berlin, Germany; Springer-Verlag 247
• 07 Brundrett,  M., and Kendrick,  B.. (1988);  The mycorrhizal status, root anatomy and phenology of plants in a sugar maple forest.  Canadian Journal Botany. 66 1153-1173
• 08 Brundrett,  M., and Kendrick,  B.. (1990);  The roots and mycorrhizas of herbaceous woodland plants. II. Structural aspects of morphology.  New Phytologist. 114 469-479
• 09 Chalot,  M., and Brun,  A.. (1998);  Physiology of organic nitrogen acquisition by ectomycorrhiza fungi and ectomycorrhizas.  FEMS Microbiology Reviews. 22 21-44
• 10 Cuenca,  G.,, DeAndrade,  Z.,, and Escalante,  G.. (1998);  Diversity of Glomalean spores from natural, disturbed and revegetated communities growing on nutrient-poor tropical soils.  Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 30 711-719
• 11 Fähser,  L.. (1981);  Die Bewirtschaftung der letzten Brasilkiefer-Naturwälder, eine entwicklungspolitische Aufgabe.  Forstarchiv. 52 22-26
• 12 Fähser,  L.. (1995) Araucaria angustifolia. . Enzyklopädie der Holzgewächse 3. Schütt, P., Schuck, H. J., Lang, U. M., Roloff, A., eds. Landsberg, Germany; Ecomed-Verlag
• 13 Ferreira,  A. G., and Irgang,  B. E.. (1979) Regeneração natural de Araucaria angustifolia nos aparados da serra - RS. Campo Grande; Anais da Soc. Botânica do Brasil - XXX Cong. Nac. De Botânica, MS-21a27 jan. 230
• 14 Gallaud,  I.. (1905);  Études sur les mycorrhizes endotrophs.  Revue Générale de Botanique. 17 5-500
• 15 Gerdemann,  J. W., and Nicolson,  T. H.. (1963);  Spores of mycorrhizal Endogone species extracted from soil by wet sieving and decanting.  Transactions of the British Mycological Society. 46 235-244
• 16 Gerdemann,  J. W.. (1965);  Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae of maize and tuliptree by Endogone fasciculata. .  Mycologia. 57 562-575
• 17 Giovannetti,  M., and Mosse,  B.. (1980);  An evaluation of techniques for measuring vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal infection in roots.  New Phytologist. 84 489-500
• 18 Golte,  W.. (1993) Araucaria - Verbreitung und Standortansprüche einer Coniferengattung in vergleichender Sicht. Stuttgart, Germany; Franz Steiner Verlag
• 19 Hampp,  R., and Schaeffer,  C.. (1995) Mycorrhiza - carbohydrate and energy metabolism.  Mycorrhiza Structure, Function, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology. Varma, A. and Hock, B., eds Berlin, Germany; Springer-Verlag 296
• 20 Heijden van der,  M. G. A.,, Klironomos,  J. N.,, Ursic,  M.,, Moutoglis,  P.,, Streitwolf-Engel,  R.,, Boller,  T.,, Wiemken,  A.,, and Sanders,  I. R.. (1998);  Mycorrhizal fungal diversity determines plant biodiversity, ecosystem variability and productivity.  Nature. 396 69-72
• 21 Helgason,  T.,, Daniell,  T. J.,, Husband,  R.,, Fitter,  A. H.,, and Young,  J. P. W.. (1998);  Ploughing up the wood-wide web?.  Nature. 394 431
• 22 Hong,  L. T.. (1978);  Endotrophic symbionts of Araucaria in Malaysia.  The Malaysian Forester. 41 225-236
• 23 Hoogh,  R. J.. (1981) Site - nutrition - growth relationship of Araucaria angustifolia (Bert.) O. Ktze. in Southern Brazil.  University of Freiburg [Breisgau], Germany; PhD thesis
• 24 Hueck,  K.. (1952) Verbreitung und Standortansprüche der brasilianischen Araukarie (Araucaria angustifolia). . Forstwissenschaftliches Zentralblatt 9/10
• 25 Hueck,  K.. (1966) Die Wälder Südamerikas. Ökologie, Zusammensetzung und wirtschaftliche Bedeutung. Stuttgart, New York; Gustav Fischer Verlag
• 26 Janzen,  D. H.. (1988);  The future of tropical ecology.  Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 17 303-324
• 27 Janos,  D. P.. (1987) VA mycorrhizas in humid tropical ecosystems. Ecophysiology of VA mycorrhizal plants. Safir, G. R., ed. Boca Raton, Fl. USA; CRC Press 134
• 28 Johnson,  N. C., and Wedin,  D. A.. (1997);  Soil carbon, nutrients, and mycorrhizae during conversion of dry tropical forest to grassland.  Ecological Applications. 7 171-182
• 29 Kuhlmann,  B.. (1952);  Vegetação o Campestre do Planalto Meridional do Brasil.  Revista Brasileira de Geografia . 14 (2) 181-198
• 30 Milanez,  F. R., and Monteiro,  H.. (1950);  Nota prévia sobre a micorriza do pinheiro do paraná.  Arq. Serv. Flor.. 4 87-100
• 31 Nicolson,  T. H., and Gerdemann,  J. W.. (1968);  Mycorrhizal Endogone species.  Mycologia. 60 313-325
• 32 Oliveira,  M., and Ventura,  A.. (1952);  Ocorrência de micorriza em Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) O. Ktze. e Podocarpus lambertii. .  Edicols e Propaganda Serv. Flor. Est. S.P. No.. 25 5
• 33 Phillips,  J. M., and Hayman,  D. S.. (1970);  Improved procedures for clearing roots and staining parasitic and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi for rapid assessment of infection.  Transactions of the British Mycological Society. 55 158-161
• 34 Raij van,  B.,, Quaggio,  J. A.,, Cantarella,  H.,, Ferreira,  M. E.,, and Bataglia,  O. C.. (1987) Análise química do solo para fins de fertilidade. Campinas, SP, Brasil; Instituto Agronômico, CPA, SA-SP, Fundação Cargill
• 35 Schenck,  N. C., and Perez,  Y.. (1988) Manual for the identification of VA mycorrhizal fungi. INVAM, Gainesville, FL
• 36 Seitz,  R.. (1983);  Hat die Araukarie in Brasilien noch eine Zukunft?.  Allgemeine Forstzeitschrift. 38 177-181
• 37 Smith,  S. E., and Read,  D. J.. (1997) Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. 2nd ed. London, UK; Academic Press
• 38 Smith,  S. E., and Smith,  F. A.. (1990);  Structure and function on the interfaces in biotrophic symbioses as they relate to nutrient transport.  New Phytologist. 114 1-38
• 39 Trappe,  M., and Schenck,  N. C.. (1982) Taxonomy of the fungi forming endomycorrhizae. Methods and principles of mycorrhizal research. Schenck, N. C., ed. St. Paul, Minnesota, USA; American Phytopathological Society 9
• 40 Walker,  C., and Sanders,  F. E.. (1986);  Taxonomic concepts in the Endogonaceae III: The separation of Scutellospora gen. nov. from Gigaspora Gerd. and Trappe.  Mycotaxon. 27 169-182