Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in maize (Zea mays L.) crops along an edaphoclimatic gradient in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the species richness, diversity, and communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), based on the morphology of their spores, in maize plantations along an edaphoclimatic gradient going from a humid zone (original area of Atlantic rainforest), to a transition zone and a drier zone (original area of Caatinga), to increase the understanding of the ecology of AMF in tropical agroecosystems. We extracted glomerospores from soil samples from maize plantations in each mesoregion and analysed AMF propagules and community structure. A total of 57 AMF taxa were identified, of which two are new to science. The most probable number of AMF infective propagules did not differ among the three areas. A greater number of glomerospores was obtained from the transition site, whereas species richness for AMF differed between the high humidity and transition sites. The composition of AMF communities differed among sites, with edaphic attributes significantly associated with AMF community composition. The environmental conditions of each mesoregion contribute to the structural differences of AMF assemblages in soils cultivated by the same host plant (maize).