Growth response and phosphorus uptake by arbuscular mycorrhizae of wet prairie sawgrass

Sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense Crantz) is one of the dominant species of South Florida's wet-land ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to investigate the mycorrhizal status of natural sawgrass in soils such as the Everglades organic peat, calcium carbonate marl, and low elevation pine rockland sandy soils and to determine the growth response and phosphorus uptake due to arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation under different soil types. An initial survey revealed that AMF population near the root zone of sawgrass varied among the sites and soil types, ranging from 936 to 6214 spores per 50 g dry soil. The AMF colonization of sawgrass roots varied among sites and soil types, ranging from 0 to 41%. In a greenhouse pot experiment, AMF inoculation significantly (P < 0.05) increased sawgrass growth (14%), shoot (52%) and root (66%) biomass, and P uptake (58%) compared to control plants in organic peat soil under saturated conditions. Receding soil water levels during dry season in the Everglades wetland is potentially conducive for the beneficial sawgrass-AMF association. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.