Preservation of Ozark Glades: Soil Inocula and Plant Additions Effect on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi

Inman E. Page Library, Room 318

Soil microbial communities can play a major role in the structure of natural plant communities, and restoring the soil microbial content can be important in restoring the plant community in prairies. In 2014, an experiment was set up to test whether soil inoculation along with native plant additions (Schizachyrium scoparium and Rudbeckia missouriensis) produce a similar restoration effect among glades, rocky grasslands found in south central Missouri. The following six inoculation treatments were set up in three sites: live inocula soil from well-restored glade sites, sterilized glade soil as a control, inoculated S. scoparium, uninoculated S. scoparium, inoculated R. missouriensis, and uninoculated R. missouriensis. Initial experimentation observed R. missouriensis seedling survival increased near uninoculated R. missouriensis adults. Currently, we are assessing whether higher survival of seedlings in certain treatments is correlated with higher abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), plant root mutualists that obtain nutrients for plants in exchange for some of the plants’ carbon resources. Though preliminary results suggest treatments had no impact on overall AMF colonization, treatments did impact colonization of certain AMF root structures, arbuscules, though not in the way we would have predicted. The plant community in plots with inoculated S. scoparium had minimal arbuscule colonization compared to other treatments. We will continue to collect AMF colonization data to further assess whether soil and plant treatments impact AMF colonization, potentially impacting survival of nearby seedlings.