Responses of AM fungal community to root characteristics of four plants in different families and genera

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, as an obligate parasitic fungi, can form symbiosis with plants and play ecological functions. To explore the effects of root characteristics on AM fungal diversity, the rhizosphere soils of Orychophragmus violaceus, Sedum spectabile, Pennisetum alopecuroides, and Saponaria officinals growing in Northeast Forestry University were used as materials. The spores in the soil were separated and then identified. The roots of the four plants were scanned to determine their length, superficial area (SA), projected area (PA), average diameter (AvgD), volume (Vol), tip number (NTips), forks number (NForks), and number of cross (NCross). In addition, the physicochemical properties of the rhizosphere soil were measured to determine the conditions of the sampling sites. The results showed that 27 species belonged to 6 genera of AM fungi. Among them, 15 species belonged to 5 genera that were detected in the rhizosphere of P. alopecuroides, indicating that P. alopecuroides was the species with the most abundant AM fungal resources. Entrophospor baltica was distributed in the rhizosphere of each plant and it exerted little effect on AM fungal composition among the different plants. Root characteristics affected the distribution of AM fungi, and SA and PA played the greatest impact. These results will provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between AM fungal diversity and root characteristics.