| Abstract Detail
Conservation Biology of Eastern Tallgrass Prairie: Integrating Issues of Management and Restoration for the 21st Century Miller, Michael [1], Bever, James [2], Fitzsimons, Michael [3]. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity and niche differences across tallgrass prairie restorations and prairie remnants. We believe to better understand and manage natural plant communities it is thus important to identify those mechanisms that determines the distribution and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Over the last 20 years we have been investigating the relationship of AMF with tallgrass prairie plant community dynamics in the Chicago region. Although these studies have found a positive relationship between plant species and mycorrhizal fungal species richness, little information exists for those factors that govern AMF community composition. By using the Fermilab prairie restorations we find that three niche axis appear to control AMF composition, these being plant identity, soil composition, and successional status or disturbance history. We also find the influences of soils and plant identity on AMF composition operate at different spatial scales, local and plot level respectively. This finding indicates that coexistence of multiple AMF is made possible through niche partitioning among any or all three of these axes. Our studies of Chicago area prairie remnants also indicate that the vast majority of AMF that reside in these marginalized habitats represent species yet to be described.
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1 - Argonne National Laboratory, Biosciences Division, 9700 S Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois, 60439, USA
2 - Indiana University, Biology Department, Bloomington, Illinois, USA
3 - University of Chicago, Ecology and Evolution Department, Chicago, Illinois, USA
Keywords:
mycorrhizal fungi
Plant conservation
ecological niche
Diversity.
Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY18
Location: Williford B/Hilton
Date: Wednesday, July 11th, 2007
Time: 10:30 AM
Number: SY18005
Abstract ID:2020 |
