Investigation of altitude effects on spore density and biodiversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of spore density of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) within different altitudes. In order to achieve this aim, soil samples was collected in June and July of 2016 to use for determining several soil characteristics and isolation of AMF in Bartın and Karabük. Four locations from different altitudinal gradients (0-1500 m, one location from each 500 gradient) was selected among those provinces. The soil samples was taken at each location from the rhizosphere layer; a depth of 0-30 cm (10 samples from each location) for soil analysis (texture, the actual pH (H2O), CaCO3, electrical conductivity, organic carbon, total nitrogen and phosphorus) and AMF isolation. A total of 40 soil samples for AMF isolation and 40 soil samples for soil analysis were taken. Poaceae family has been selected as pilot family in this study. Isolation soil for AMF was collected from Poaceae family plants' rhizosphere. Botanic composition (legumes, grasses and other botanical families) was determined by belt transect method in research areas. In this research, the relationship between the AMF spor density and some soil characteristics was investigated. AMF were found in all of rhizosphere soil. According to the One Way Anova, the intensity of spore number of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi varied depending on the altitude. But, the biodiversity of AMF was not only depend on altitude but also the soil properties in study areas. The highest average number of AMF spores in 25 grams of soil was 39.18 and the highest number of AMF genus was 13 in Arıt region, Bartın province, 500 meters asl. The lowest average number of AMF spores was determined at 19.10 in Kızılkum region, Bartın, 11 asl. Also, this research was contributed to the ecologic properties of AMF.