Abstract
My intention is to describe the AM fungal community in south Swedish habitats and determine soil disturbance influence on AM fungal communities; diversity, species composition, biomass and spore production. Disturbed sandy grasslands in south east Sweden will be studied and the impact of disturbance and successional stage on the AM fungal community will be studied in order to test the “intermediate disturbance hypothesis” for AM fungal diversity. Specific goals: 1. To determine the influence of soil disturbance on the diversity, species composition, biomass and spore production of AM fungal communities. 2. To investigate if observed disturbance-induced changes in diversity and community composition results in changes in AM mycelium C allocation and retention. AM fungal diversity will be described by surveying the spore populations in the soil (the main taxonomy character), and complemented with molecular determination to allow for a phylogenetic investigation. The diversity measurements will be complemented by soil fatty acid analysis. Since there is a particular fatty acid (neutral lipid fatty acid 16:1w5) that provides a signature for AM fungi, its measurement can provide an indication of the overall biomass of AM fungi. Furthermore, by tracking C to this compound by stable isotope labelling the influences on ecosystem C cycling will be monitored.
Sweden