A study on the relation between arbuscular mycorrhizal and plant succession in the sand dunes ecosystems of eastern mediterranean

This research was carried out to investigate relation between arbuscular- mikorizal colonization, vegetation structure and soil properties in the coastal sand dunes of the district Tuzla/Karataş-TURKEY In this research, four vegetational stages namely embryonic, mobile, and fixed and remnant sand dunes determined with analyzing 18 quadrates taking from 9 sand dunes. The arbuskular-mycorrhizal colonization and mycorrhizal spore number with vegetation structure and soil properties belonging to four dunes stages were analyzed As conclusion, 64 plant taka including 5 endemics belonging to 30 families which are peculiar to sand dunes. In the total taxa, sixty-teen taxa determined as non- mycorrhizal and eighty-four taxa found as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization. A positive correlation had been found between arbuscular-mycorrhizal colonization and increased plant taxa richness, total and shrub coverage. The lowest arbuscular-mycorrhizal found in embryonic sand dunes, but the highest ratio was found in fixed sand dunes stage where shrub taxa dominant. Organic matter and nitrogen in soil with arbuscular-mycorrhizal colonization increased together along the successional dunes stages and show a high positive correlationKey words: arbuscular-mycorrhizal colonization, sand dunes vegetation, Succession