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  • About
  • The Global ETD Search service is a free service for researchers to find electronic theses and dissertations. This service is provided by the Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations.
    Our metadata is collected from universities around the world. If you manage a university/consortium/country archive and want to be added, details can be found on the NDLTD website.
41

The effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis on the production of phytochemicals in basil.

Toussaint, Jean-Patrick January 2008 (has links)
The overall objective of this thesis was to investigate how the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis can affect the production of phytochemicals (antioxidants; rosmarinic and caffeic acid, RA & CA) in the shoots of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). As a result of an increasing interest in natural/herbal medicines, more effort is now needed to produce herbal products of better quality, i.e. higher and standardised phytochemical concentrations. Thus, it was hypothesised that the naturally occurring AM fungi (AMF) could play an important role in improving the growth and phytochemical concentrations in medicinal herbs such as basil, as organic methods of cultivation are increasingly sought after to grow such plants. Despite a reasonable amount of information available in the literature on the changes of phytochemical concentrations in the roots of host plants following AM colonisation, very little is known about such processes in the aerial part of such plants. Furthermore, basil has hardly been studied as a host plant in AM research, and very little is known of its responsiveness to AM colonisation. As AMF are well known to improve phosphorus (P) uptake in their host plant, the first objective of this work was to obtain AM and non-mycorrhizal (NM) plants matched for tissue P concentrations and growth rates. Only under such conditions would it then be possible to separate benefits derived from improved plant P uptake from non-nutritional benefits. It was found that basil is highly responsive to P, and that under low or little P supply it is quite dependent on the AM symbiosis in order to grow. However, growth depressions were observed when growing basil in winter with Glomus intraradices, suggesting that the fungal symbiont can act as a strong sink of carbon (C) under such conditions. Thus, in order to obtain AM and NM plants with matched growth rates and tissue P concentrations, it was found that basil needed to be cultivated in summer in a soil/sand mixture with a ratio of 1:3 (w/w), along with 0.2 g/kg CaHPO4 and 25% of AM inoculum (AM plants). Under these conditions, AM plants grew as well as NM plants and G. caledonium and G. mosseae were shown to increase the concentrations of RA and CA in the shoots of basil, but not in roots. Such results were not an indirect effect of improved P uptake. In order to understand the mechanisms by which AMF increased RA and CA concentrations in basil, further experiments were set up to investigate the effect of 1) AM developmental stages, 2) nitrogen (N) supply and 3) phytohormone changes on the production of RA and CA in the shoots. None of these factors was found to contribute to increases in antioxidants in basil under AM symbiosis. Therefore, the mechanisms by which AMF affect RA and CA concentrations in basil still remain unknown. A final experiment was carried out to investigate the potential of an AM fungus to improve the growth of basil when challenged with a specific pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. basilici (Fob), which causes significant production losses. The results showed that inoculation of basil with G. mosseae not only improved plant growth compared to NM plants, but also conferred a protective effect against Fob. However, shoot antioxidant concentrations (RA, CA, total phenolics and essential oils) were not increased in AM plants compared to NM plants, and the mechanism of protection against Fob could not be elucidated. Due to the high variability of RA and CA concentrations obtained in AM plants in different experiments, it cannot be concluded that AMF confer an absolute advantage over uninoculated plants if the main concern is to obtain standardised concentrations of phytochemical in basil. On the other hand, the key results presented in this thesis do indicate that inoculating basil with AMF can be beneficial to improve its growth as well as antioxidant concentrations, compared to NM plants grown under similar conditions. Such results could be of potential interest to basil growers who wish to cultivate this medicinal herb organically (i.e. low P supply and no chemical fertilisers added). / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1330324 / Thesis (Ph.D) -- University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2008
42

BENEFÍCIOS DA ASSOCIAÇÃO COM Glomus clarum E ADUBAÇÃO FOSFATADA EM CULTIVARES CRIOULAS DE MILHO, RS / BENEFITS OF ASSOCIATION WITH Glomus clarum And PHOSPHORUS FERTILIZATION IN CULTIVARS OF MAIZE LANDRACES, RS

Schuch, Luiz Felipe 07 January 2013 (has links)
Maize has great economical importance, while Brazil is the third largest producer, but does not stand out among the countries with the highest level of productivity, due to the large number of small producers who cultivate this cereal with low or no technological level. In this sense, given the importance of maize in the national scene, action research must be performed with maize cultivars used by small producers, especially cultivars of maize landraces, which have not gone through the process of genetic improvement in research institutions. Thus, there is a need to study the Land varieties of corn, about the efficiency in the development and establishment of colonization symbiotic mycorrhizal fungi, as this improves absorption of nutrients, and tolerance to abiotic stresses by the plant in order to minimize costs production mainly related to the use of phosphate fertilizers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of phosphorus and mycorrhizal inoculation on initial Land varieties of corn, preserved by the Association of Seed Guardians Creole, the city of Ibarama, located in the Central Sierra, Rio Grande do Sul. The experiment was performed in a factorial 8x4x2, eight cultivars of maize landraces (Amarelão, Brancão, Cabo Roxo, Cateto Amarelo, Colorido, Cunha, Ferro and Palha Roxa), four phosphate 0 (control), 50 , 100 and 200 mg.kg-1 soil and a species of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (Glomus clarum Nicol. & Schenck) and treatment without inoculation, which evaluated the percentage of mycorrhizal colonization, shoot dry matter and plant height . The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at the Federal University of Santa Maria and the data were subjected to analysis of variance, mean Scott Knott test (at 5% probability of error) and regression analysis. The results showed that significant difference occurs for percentage of mycorrhizal colonization in cultivars Brancão, Cabo Roxo, Cateto Amarelo, Colorido, Ferro and Palha Roxa, due to different levels of phosphorus in the soil, which does not occur in cultivars and Amarelão Cunha and also that the use of Glomus clarum inoculated into maize was effective in increasing dry matter of shoots and plant height in doses of phosphorus that stimulate mycorrhizal colonization. / A cultura do milho possui grande importância econômica mundial, sendo que o Brasil é o terceiro maior produtor, mas não se destaca entre os países com maior nível de produtividade, devido ao grande número de pequenos produtores que cultivam esse cereal com baixo ou nenhum nível tecnológico. Neste sentido, devido à importância do milho no cenário nacional, ações de pesquisa necessitam ser realizadas com cultivares de milho utilizadas por pequenos produtores, em especial as cultivares crioulas de milho, que não passaram por processo de melhoramento genético em instituições de pesquisa. Desta forma, surge a necessidade de estudar as cultivares crioulas de milho, quanto à eficiência no desenvolvimento e estabelecimento de colonização simbiótica com fungos micorrízicos arbusculares, pois esta melhora a absorção de nutrientes, e tolerância a estresses abióticos pela planta, de forma a minimizar custos de produção relacionados, principalmente ao uso de fertilizantes fosfatados. Assim, o objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de doses de fósforo e da inoculação micorrízica, no desenvolvimento inicial de cultivares crioulas de milho, preservadas pela Associação dos Guardiões de Sementes Crioulas, do município de Ibarama, localizado na região Centro-Serra do Rio Grande do Sul. O experimento foi executado em esquema fatorial 8x4x2, sendo oito cultivares crioulas de milho (Amarelão, Brancão, Cabo Roxo, Cateto Amarelo, Colorido, Cunha, Ferro e Palha Roxa), quatro doses de fósforo 0 (testemunha), 50, 100 e 200 mg.kg-1 de solo e uma espécie de fungo micorrízico arbuscular (Glomus clarum Nicol. & Schenck) e o tratamento sem inoculação, onde avaliouse a percentagem de colonização micorrízica, matéria seca da parte aérea e altura de planta. O experimento foi conduzido em casa de vegetação da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria e os dados obtidos foram submetidos à análise de variância, teste de média Scott Knott (ao nível de 5% de probabilidade de erro) e análise de regressão. Os resultados obtidos mostraram que ocorre diferença significativa para percentagem de colonização micorrízica nas cultivares Brancão, Cabo Roxo, Cateto Amarelo, Colorido, Ferro e Palha Roxa, em função de doses de fósforo distintas existente no solo, o que não ocorre para as cultivares Amarelão e Cunha e, também, que o uso de Glomus clarum inoculado em milho mostrou-se eficiente no aumento da matéria seca da parte aérea e altura de planta em doses de fósforo que estimulam a colonização micorrízica.
43

Estabelecimento de bananeira (Musa sp.) em solo degradado /

Oliveira, Jéssica Alves de January 2018 (has links)
Orientador: Ana Maria Rodrigues Cassiolato / Resumo: O solo degradado em estudo originou-se pela retirada da sua camada superficial, que compreende a vegetação, a matéria orgânica, os nutrientes e os microrganismos, cujos processos são essenciais para o solo ser considerado produtivo. Sua recuperação é importante para manter o equilíbrio da biodiversidade de flora e fauna e protege-lo contra a erosão, entre outros fatores. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o condicionamento do subsolo pela adição de cinza de biomassa de cana-de-açúcar, da inoculação de fungo micorrízico arbuscular (FMA – Glomus clarum) e da inoculação de fungos e de bactéria solubilizadores de fosfato, buscando uma técnica para a recuperação de solos degradados. A bananeira (Musa sp. cv. Mysore) foi utilizada como planta indicadora para as modificações que ocorreram no solo. O delineamento experimental foi em blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 2 x 2 x 3 + 2, com 4 repetições por tratamento, totalizando 12 tratamentos, com 4 repetições (bloco). O primeiro fator foi com e sem inoculação de FMA, o segundo foi com e sem adição de cinza proveniente da queima do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar, o terceiro foi com e sem inoculação de fungos e de bactéria solubilizadores de fosfato, e dois tratamentos adicionais, área conservada de Cerrado (SCRC) e área degradada sem intervenção (ADSI). Após 67 e 274 dias do plantio foram avaliados os atributos químicos e microbiológicos do solo na camada de 0,0 a 0,10 m, além da altura, do diâmetro, do índice relativo de clorofila e do P t... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The degraded soil under study originated by the removal of the superficial layer, which includes vegetation, organic matter, nutrients and microorganisms, whose processes are essential for the soil to be considered productive. Its recovery is important to maintain the balance of biodiversity of flora and fauna and protect it against erosion, among other factors. The objective of this work was the subsoil conditioning by the addition of sugarcane biomass ash, the inoculation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF - Glomus clarum) and the inoculation of fungi and bacteria phosphate solubilizers, searching for a technique for recovery of degraded soils. The banana plants (Musa sp. cv. Mysore) was used as an indicator plant for the changes that occurred in the soil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block design, with a 2 x 2 x 3 +2 factorial scheme, with 4 replicates per treatment, in a total of 12 treatments, with 4 replicates (block). The first factor was with and without AMF inoculation, the second was with and without ash added from the burning of sugarcane bagasse, the third was with and without inoculation of fungi and bacteria phosphate solubilizers and two controls area, Cerrado conservation area (CCAR) and degraded area without intervention (DAWI). After 67 and 274 days of planting, the soil chemical and microbiological attributes were evaluated in the 0.0 to 0.10 m layer, as well as the height, diameter, relative chlorophyll index, and total leaf P. The a... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre
44

Análise da comunidade de fungos em áreas de monoculturas e consórcio de Eucalyptus grandis e Acacia mangium / Analysis of the fungal community in monoculture and consortium areas of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium

Maiele Cintra Santana 19 January 2018 (has links)
Os fungos representam cerca de 75% da biomassa microbiana em áreas florestais, desempenhando funções importantes, desde a mineralização dos resíduos orgânicos até a disponibilização de nutrientes para plantas por meio das associações micorrízicas, o que influencia a ciclagem de nutrientes e, consequentemente, o crescimento das árvores. O objetivo desse trabalho foi avaliar a comunidade de fungos do solo, da rizosfera e do sistema radicular de Eucalyptus grandis e Acacia mangium plantados em monocultivos e em consórcio, e encontrar respostas para os padrões observados por meio da correlação com os atributos físicos, químicos, biológicos e a profundidade do solo. A coleta das amostras foi realizada na Estação Experimental de Ciências Florestais de Itatinga, em 2016, quando as plantas estavam com 2 anos de idade. Foram coletadas amostras em quatro tratamentos: monoculturas de E. grandis e de A. mangium e consórcios de E. grandis e de A. mangium, nos quais foram construídas trincheiras para coleta das amostras nas camadas de 0-10, 10-20, 20-50 e 50-100 cm de profundidade. Foram caracterizados os atributos físicos e biológicos do solo e os atributos químicos do solo, da rizosfera e das raízes. Para a avaliação micorrízica, foi quantificado o número de esporos de fungos micorrízicos arbusculares (FMA) e as taxas de colonização radicular por FMA e por fungos ectomicorrízicos. Foi avaliada a morfologia das estruturas das micorrizas arbusculares e ectomicorriza (ECM). A estrutura da comunidade de fungos do solo e da rizosfera foi avaliada por meio da técnica de Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). Para isso, o DNA foi amplificado utilizando os primers ITS1f-FAM e ITS4 e a restrição dos fragmentos foi realizada com a enzima HaeIII. A abundância de cópias do gene ITS do solo e da rizosfera foi quantificada por PCR quantitativo (qPCR), utilizando os primers ITS1f e 5.8s. Os atributos físicos, químicos e biológicos tiveram poucas variações entre os tratamentos avaliados, sendo as maiores diferenças encontradas entre as profundidades. O número de esporos (<29) e as taxas de colonização micorrízica (<48%) foram baixos em todos os tratamentos, e se reduziram com o aumento da profundidade. As plantas de A. mangium não formaram micorrizas arbusculares. Nas raízes de E. grandis, não houve a formação de arbúsculos, mas foi verificada a presença de hifas enroladas (hyphal coils), estrutura de micorriza do tipo Paris. A anatomia das ECM confirmou a colonização destes fungos nas raízes das plantas estudadas. O qPCR mostrou maior abundância de genes ITS na rizosfera em relação ao solo, assim como nas camadas superficiais (0-10 cm) em relação às mais profundas (10 cm abaixo). A Análise de Coordenadas Principais revelou diferenças na estrutura das comunidades de fungos nos tratamentos estudados, principalmente para a região da rizosfera, diferenciando o perfil de fungos do monocultivo de E. grandis dos demais tratamentos, assim como a influência da A. mangium na estruturação da comunidade. A análise de redundância mostrou a influência de alguns atributos químicos nas taxas de colonização e estruturação da comunidade. Dessa forma, conclui-se que em sistema de consórcio, uma espécie de planta parece ser mais influente do que a outra na estruturação da comunidade de fungos e essa influência é mais evidente na rizosfera. Além disso, os atributos químicos são fatores importantes na organização da comunidade fúngica. / The fungi represent about 75% of the microbial biomass in forest areas, performing important functions, from the mineralization of the organic residues to the availability of nutrients to plants through mycorrhizal associations, which influences the nutrient cycling and, consequently, the growth of trees. The objective of this work was to evaluate the community of fungi of the soil, rhizosphere and root system of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium planted in monocultures and consortium, and to find explanations for the observed patterns through the correlation with physical and chemical soil attributes and soil depth. The samples were collected at the Experimental Station of Forest Sciences of Itatinga in 2016, when the plants were 2 years old. Samples were collected in four treatments: monocultures of E. grandis and A. mangium and consortia of E. grandis and A. mangium, in which trenches were constructed to collect samples in the 0-10, 10-20, 20 -50 and 50-100 cm deep. The physical and biological attributes of the soil and the chemical attributes of soil, rhizosphere and roots were characterized. For the mycorrhizal evaluation, the number of spores of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and the rates of root colonization by AMF and ectomycorrhizal fungi were quantified. The morphology of arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) structures was evaluated. The structure of the soil and rhizosphere fungi community by was evaluated by the technique of Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP). For this, the DNA was amplified using primers ITS1f-FAM and ITS4 and restriction of the fragments was performed with the enzyme HaeIII. The abundance of ITS gene copies of soil and rhizosphere was quantified by quantitative PCR (qPCR), using primers ITS1f and 5.8s. The physical, chemical and biological attributes had few variations among the evaluated treatments, being the greatest differences found between the depths. The number of spores (<29) and mycorrhizal colonization rates (<48%) were low in all treatments, and reduced with increasing depth. A. mangium plants did not form FMA. In the roots of E. grandis, there was no formation of arbuscules, but we found the presence of hyphal coils, mycorrhizal structures of the Paris type. The anatomy of the ECM confirmed the colonization of these fungi in the roots of the studied plants. The qPCR showed higher abundance of ITS genes in the rhizosphere in relation to the soil, as well as in the superficial layers (0-10 cm) in relation to the deeper ones (10 cm below). The Principal Coordinates Analysis revealed differences in the structure of the fungal communities in the treatments studied, especially for the rhizosphere region, differentiating the fungal profile of the E. grandis monoculture from the other treatments, as well as the influence of A. mangium on the structure of the community. The redundancy analysis showed the influence of some chemical soil attributes on the rates of colonization and community structuring. Thus, it is concluded that in a consortium system, one plant species seems to be more influential than the other in structuring the fungal community, and this influence is more evident in the rhizosphere. In addition, chemical attributes are important factors in the organization of the fungal community.
45

Interaction of Vesicular Arbuscular Mycorrhiza, nematode and phytonematicides on growth and nutritional content of Cleome gynandra

Rabothata, Masia Rodney January 2017 (has links)
Thesis (M. Sc.(Agronomy)) -- University of Limpopo, 2017. / Cleome gynandra is increasingly becoming an important strategy for achieving food and nutrition security among rural households in many developing countries. Root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes, with limited nematode management strategies, limit the successful production of this vegetable crop. Nemafric-BL and Nemarioc-AL phytonematicides are separately being developed in South Africa for sustainable crop production systems. However, the two products have not been simultaneously tested for managing the notorious Meloidogyne species and absorption of phosphorus, with a combination of Vesicular arbuscular mycorrhiza (VAM). The objective of this study therefore was to determine the interactive effects of VAM and each of the two phytonematicides on nutrient content, growth of C. gynandra. A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment, with the first, second and third factors being VAM (V), nematode (N) and Nemafric-BL phytonematicide (P). The eight treatments included (1) untreated control (V0N0P0), (2) nematodes alone (V0N1P0), (3) VAM alone (V1N0P0) (4) Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide alone (V0N0P1), (5) V1N1P0, (6) V0N1P1, (7) V1N0P1 and (8) V1N1P1, were laid out in a randomised complete block design, with ten replications. The same layout experiment was done for the Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide trial which had a similar layout. Seedlings were irrigated with 250 ml chloride-free tapwater every other day for 56 days. Multifeed and NPK (2:3:2(22) fertilisers were applied at transplanting. The second order interaction (V1N1P1), was highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) for plant height contributing 54% in TTV (Total Treatment Variation) of the variable. Among the main factors (N, P and V), only nematode had highly significant effects on stem diameter. All interactions of VAM, nematode and Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide and main factors each had no significant effect on Cleome. The second order (V1N1P1) and the first order interaction (V1N1P1) did not have significant effects on the three nutrient elements except for the first order interaction (V1N0P1) which was significant on foliar Zn contributing 42% in TTV of the variable. Also nematode had highly significant effect on foliar K and significant effect on foliar Zn contributing 49 and 31% in TTV of the respective variables. Using the two-way table, VAM and Nemafric-BL phytonematicide each increased foliar Zn by 27% and 29%, respectively. The second and first order interactions of VAM, N and Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide and the main factors did not have significant effect on foliar K, Fe and Zn. The second order interaction of VAM, nematode and Nemafric-BL phytonematicide had significant effects on gall rating, contributing 2% in TTV of the variable. VAM, nematode and Nemarioc-AL phytonematicide showed that the second and first order interaction except for V1N0P1 interaction on gall rating, were not significant for nematode variables. The V1N0P1 interaction contributed 20% in TTV of gall rating. Using a two-way table, VAM and phytonematicide each increased root galls by 7% and 74%, respectively. Combined, VAM and phytonematicide reduced root galls by 64%. The innovative products interacted together and that Nemafric-BL and Nemarioc-AL phytonematicides and VAM alone could be used in managing nematodes. / National Research Foundation, Agricultural Research Council-Universities Collaboration Centre
46

How does agricultural management affect the structure and function of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities?

Van den Bos, Alexander Arthur January 2015 (has links)
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi form an obligate symbiosis with many wild and cultivated plants. The plant may benefit from improved nutrient uptake (particularly phosphorus) and resistance to drought, pests and disease. Compared to more natural habitats, arable systems support reduced diversity of AM fungi, with community structure shifted in favour of ruderal types. Physical disturbance is an important driver of these differences and reduced tillage systems might facilitate greater utilisation of the AM symbiosis as part of more sustainable production systems. In this study, the structure of root-associated AM fungal communities in barley grown under a range of tillage regimes was characterised, using high-throughput molecular methodology. AM fungal community structure was significantly influenced by tillage intensity, with soils subject to high tillage burden richest in ruderal types. These findings were consistent in both winter and spring barley cultivars. Significant temporal changes in AM fungal community structure suggested an important role for plant growth stage in determining AM fungal community dynamics. Functional differences can occur between fungal species and different fungus-plant combinations, and in the second part of this study the functional consequences of changes in community structure due to tillage were tested in a model system using intact field-soil cores. There were clear differences in AM fungal community structure due to differential physical disturbance. Although no functional effects were observed, this may have been due to the inherent limitations of recreating field conditions in microcosm experiments. The results of this comprehensive assessment of fine-scale spatial variation in AM fungal community structure in an arable system identify tillage as an important driver of AM fungal community dynamics, and plant growth stage is also a key factor which has rarely been addressed. Elucidating the functional significance of these changes remains essential in order to justify future changes to arable management practices.
47

Climate Change Effects on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Prairie Plants Along a Mediterranean Climate Gradient

Wilson, Hannah 11 July 2013 (has links)
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide numerous services to their plant symbionts. Understanding the effects of climate change on AMF, and the resulting plant responses, is a crucial factor in predicting ecosystem responses on a global scale. We used a manipulative climate change experiment embedded within a natural climate gradient in Oregon and Washington to examine how the effects of future climate change on AMF-plant symbioses are mediated by soil water availability, soil nutrient availability, and vegetation dynamics. Using structural equation modeling, we found that the direct effect of increasing temperatures was to decrease AMF colonization. Indirect effects of temperature, mediated through other variables, canceled each other out. However, future shifts in these relationships could either exacerbate or mitigate the negative direct effect of temperature. As ecosystems in Mediterranean climates experience more intense droughts and heavier rains, decreases in AMF colonization could have substantial consequences for plant communities and ecosystem function.
48

The Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi, and Natural Enemy Communities on Seedling Dynamics

Bachelot, Benedicte Marie-philippe Elanore January 2015 (has links)
Identifying the mechanisms that prevent competitive exclusion in tropical forests is a key goal of tropical ecology. Because trees are long-lived organisms, it is complicated to test theory related to coexistence. However, the seedling stage, during which tree mortality is the highest, offers an ideal proxy to evaluate mechanisms that promote or hinder tree species coexistence. This dissertation utilizes both theory and empirical approaches to investigate two mechanisms thought to influence seedling dynamics and tree species coexistence: negative feedbacks from tree natural enemies and positive feedbacks from arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. Tree natural enemies might promote tropical tree species coexistence by acting as agents of negative density-dependent mortality. Simultaneously, tropical seedlings associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, which can increase seedling growth and survival through enhanced nutrient and water uptake. However, little is known about the effects of AM fungi on tropical tree community dynamics. In chapter 1, I developed a theoretical model that combines competition between trees, predation by tree natural enemies, and mutualism with AM fungi, and showed that a subtle balance between negative and positive feedbacks is required to reach tree species coexistence. In chapters 2 and 3, I used empirical data collected from El Yunque (Puerto Rico) to gain a better understanding of the distribution of soil fungi and tree natural enemies in a secondary tropical forest and to test some of the assumptions of my theoretical model. In chapter 2, I found evidence that soil characteristics and the tree community were important to structure soil fungal communities, and I demonstrated long-lasting effects of past human land use. If AM fungi are important to promote tropical tree species coexistence as suggested by my theoretical model, past land use could influence tree species coexistence by altering AM fungal communities, emphasizing the need for additional studies about land use legacy effects on AM fungal communities. In chapter 3, I showed that seedlings at intermediate conspecific density and from intermediate abundance tree species, hosted the richest community of natural enemies, suggesting that negative density-dependent processes might be non-linear, and partially supporting my theoretical model. Finally in chapter 4, I investigated seedling mortality and showed that natural enemies increase seedling mortality, whereas AM fungal diversity decreases seedling mortality, counteracting the local effects of natural enemies. I also found evidence that AM fungal diversity rescues rare tree species, and natural enemies reduce survivorship of more abundant species, thereby preventing competitive exclusion. Therefore, at the community scale, AM fungal diversity and natural enemies act in the same direction, promoting tropical tree species coexistence, which is consistent with the findings of my theoretical model. In conclusion, this dissertation jointly investigated the effects of negative and positive feedbacks on tropical tree species coexistence, and demonstrated the importance of combining demographic processes that are known to occur simultaneously.
49

Colonization and species diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their efffects on metal tolerance and metal accumulation in two metal hyperaccumulators, Pteris vittata L. and Sedum alfredii Hance

Wu, Fuyong 01 January 2008 (has links)
No description available.
50

Cut-and-paste transposable elements in the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Claroideoglomus claroideum

Xu, Wenbo January 2019 (has links)
Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are important symbionts to most of the terrestrial plants. Recent genome sequencing projects revealed that many AM fungi have repetitive genetic elements in their genomes and among these repetitive genetic elements, cut-and-paste DNA transposable elements were very prevalent. For example, in Rhizophagus irregularis, up to 21% of the genome assembly content was associated with cut-and-paste DNA transposable elements. In Diversispora epigaea, up to 23% of the genome content can also be attributed to cut-and-paste DNA transposable elements. While cut-and-paste DNA transposable elements are very abundant in AM fungi, detailed studies on these repetitive elements have been lacking. In this study, we revealed the diversity of cut-and-paste DNA transposable elements in Claroideoglomus claroideum and identified many potentially autonomous transposable elements in the genome assembly of C. claroideum. The evolutionary relationship between the DNA transposons we identified and the established sequences in public databases were also investigated.

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