• Journal of Korean Society of Forest Science
• /
• v.86 no.4
• /
• pp.466-475
• /
• 1997

I examined arbuscular mycorrhizal(AM) fungus inoculation effects on the seedling growth of Korean ash tree(Fraxinus rhynchophylla Hance), which distributes in fertile mesic soils, under a seven-day watering cycle of water stress and compost-added fertile conditions. Three Korea-native AM fungi were inoculated : an unidentified Glomus species, Gigaspora margarita Becker & Hall and Scutellospora heterogama(Nicol. & Gerd) Walker & Sanders from disturbed forest soils. The effect of AM fungus inoculation on the seedling varied depending upon fungal species and soil conditions. AM formation was 27 to 65% by the Glomus without forming spores, 47 to 74% with about 10 spores per 20g soil by G. margarita and about 65% with 35 spores by S. heterogama. The soil conditions did not affect either AM or spore formation. The Glomus inoculation increased shoot N and P concentrations, but did not affect seedling growth. G. margarita increased shoot N and P, irrespective of soil conditions, in general, but S. heterogama increased N under water stress and Pin the control soil only. These two fungi significantly increased seedling growth in both control and water stress soils. Compost addition increased the growth of non-mycorrhizal seedlings and offset AM fungus inoculation effects. The relative field mycorrhizal dependency(RFMD) of the seedlings was significant only in control and water stress soils by over 40% in G. margarita or S. heterogama AM plants. Under water stress RFMD was the most evident in S. heterogama AM plants. I conclude that some AM fungi such as G, margarita and S. heterogama can broaden the niche of Korean ash seedlings to a water stress or nutrient poor site but less likely to more fertile sites.