K. Ingleby et al., DISTRIBUTION OF ROOTS, ARBUSCULAR MYCORRHIZAL COLONIZATION AND SPORESAROUND FAST-GROWING TREE SPECIES IN SENEGAL, Forest ecology and management, 90(1), 1997, pp. 19-27
Roots and soil were sampled from around four leguminous tree species i
n 10-year-old plots at Bandia, Senegal, Assessments of root concentrat
ion (cm per 100 cm(3) soil) and mycorrhizal colonisation (% of root le
ngth) were made and related to the abundance of spores in the soil and
the above ground growth (stem diameter at 30 cm height) of the trees,
Root concentrations in Acacia nilotica and Acacia tortilis plots were
greater than those found in Prosopis juliflora and Acacia aneura plot
s at all three depths examined (0-10, 10-25, 25-50 cm), Root concentra
tion decreased with soil depth in all plots and was greatest nearest t
he tree in the Acacia nilotica and Acacia tortilis plots, Mycorrhizal
colonisation was highest on Prosopis juliflora roots and lowest on Aca
cia tortilis roots, Colonisation was not affected by distance from the
tree and decreased with depth only in the Acacia aneura plot. Numbers
of spores recovered from soils were generally low (27 per 100 g dry w
t, soil) and were concentrated in the upper 10 cm of soil. Spores were
most numerous in the Acacia aneura plot and least numerous in the Pro
sopis juliflora plot, Positive relationships were found between spore
numbers and root concentration in the Prosopis juliflora plot and betw
een spore numbers and mycorrhizal colonisation in the Acacia aneura pl
ot. Of the four tree species examined, root and mycorrhizal distributi
ons of Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica showed most promise for
use in agroforestry systems.