Hurst et al.— Light and mycorrhizal colonisation

New Zealand Journal of Botany abstracts

The effect of plant light environment on mycorrhizal colonisation in field-grown seedlings of podocarp-angiosperm forest tree species

Sarah E. Hurst

HortResearch
Private Bag 11030
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Email: shurst@hortresearch.co.nz

Matthew H. Turnbull

Department of Plant and Microbial Sciences
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand

David A. Norton

School of Forestry
University of Canterbury
Private Bag 4800
Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract To test the possibility that the development of mycorrhizas in seedlings may be limited under shaded conditions, arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation was measured in gap and understorey seedlings from mixed podocarp/angiosperm forests in North Okarito, south Westland, and Blue Duck Scientific Reserve, Marlborough, New Zealand. Mean percentage colonisation of seedlings of podocarp and angiosperm tree species ranged from 66 to 97% of root length, and no seedlings were non-mycorrhizal. Plant light environment had no significant overall effect on percentage mycorrhizal colonisation within cortical cells. Levels of colonisation of seedlings at North Okarito forest, which experiences high annual rainfall and grows on a poorly drained gley-podzol soil, were similar to those of seedlings from Blue Duck Scientific Reserve, a podocarp-angiosperm forest of comparable structure, which experiences much lower annual rainfall and grows on soils dominated by yellow-brown earths of moderate to high fertility. This result indicates that all podocarp and angiosperm seedlings in forests of this type in New Zealand are likely to support heavy arbuscular mycorrhizal colonisation, regardless of regional climatic conditions and soil type.

Keywords arbuscular mycorrhizas; carbon budget; phosphorus availability; podocarp-angiosperm forest

B00032 Received 14 August 2000; accepted 6 December 2001
New Zealand Journal of Botany, 2002, Vol. 40 : 65–72
0028–825X/02/4001–0065 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

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