Effects of nutrients and arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization on the growth of Salix gracilistyla seedlings in a nutrient-poor fluvial bar

A field survey and a pot culture experiment were conducted to examine the effects of nutrients (N and P) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on the growth of Salix gracilistyla, a pioneer plant in riparian habitats. The plants growing in the field were colonized by AM and/or ectomycorrhizal fungi. However, the direct effect of AM colonization on seedling growth was not detected in the pot culture experiment. In contrast, N application significantly promoted plant growth, suggesting that the growth of S, gracilistyla seedlings is largely limited by the availability of N in the field.