Evaluation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in the ecological rehabilitation of ecosystems with mining activity

Abstract

In native forest ecosystems, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a role in the soil-plant interface, helping plant species to adapt to stressful situations. In Chile there is a lack of information about the sclerophyllous forest of the central zone, so in this article, we identify and quantify AMF spores in rhizospheric soil for the species Beilschmiedia miersii, Peumus boldus and Citronella mucronata and a site subject to ecological rehabilitation due to mining actions called "El Gallo", located in the coastal mountain range in the Valparaíso region. Rhizosphere samples of the three species and the site under rehabilitation were collected and subjected to morphometric analysis; sieving at 63, 149 and 297 µm and filtering, with spore counting in 50 g of rhizospheric soil in winter (August 2019) and summer (January 2020). The genera Glomus sp. and Acaulospora sp. were identified and it was determined that the density of AMF spores/ 50 g of soil at the El Gallo area in sieves of 149 and 297 µm was lower in comparison to the density presented by the rhizospheric soil samples of the three sclerophyllous species. These results establish a reference value with respect to the density of spores present for managing and improving the quantity and diversity of AMF in a sclerophyllous native forest species succession management.