Distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Terceira and São Miguel Islands (Azores)

Catarina Drumonde Melo; Christopher Walker; Helena Freitas; Artur Câmara Machado; Paulo A V Borges

doi:10.3897/BDJ.8.e49759

Distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Terceira and São Miguel Islands (Azores)

Biodivers Data J. 2020 Apr 1:8:e49759. doi: 10.3897/BDJ.8.e49759. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Catarina Drumonde Melo^{1

2}, Christopher Walker^{3

4}, Helena Freitas⁵, Artur Câmara Machado⁶, Paulo A V Borges¹

Affiliations

¹ cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores - Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, São Pedro, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores, Portugal cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes / Azorean Biodiversity Group and Universidade dos Açores - Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e do Ambiente, Rua Capitão João d'Ávila, São Pedro, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira, Azores Portugal.
² CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal CFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3001-401 Coimbra Portugal.
³ Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 20A Inverleith Row, EH3 5LR Edinburgh United Kingdom.
⁴ School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth WA 6009, Crawley, Australia School of Agriculture and Environment, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth WA 6009 Crawley Australia.
⁵ CFE - Centre for FunctionalCFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3001-401, Coimbra, Portugal CFE - Centre for FunctionalCFE - Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3001-401 Coimbra Portugal.
⁶ CBA-UAç - Biotechnology Center of Azores, Universidade dos Açores - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Rua Capitão D´Ávila, 9700-042, Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal CBA-UAç - Biotechnology Center of Azores, Universidade dos Açores - Departamento de Ciências e Engenharia do Ambiente, Rua Capitão D´Ávila, 9700-042 Angra do Heroísmo Portugal.

Abstract

Background: The data, presented here, come from samples collected during three research projects which aimed to assess the impact of land-use type on Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) diversity and community composition in pastures of Terceira Island (Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal) and also in the native forest of two Azorean Islands (Terceira and São Miguel; Azores, Macaronesia, Portugal). Both projects contributed to improving the knowledge of AMF community structure at both local and regional scales.

New information: Little is known on the AMF communities from Azores islands and this study reports the first survey in two Azorean Islands (Terceira and São Miguel). A total of 18,733 glomeromycotan spores were classified at the species level from 244 field soil samples collected in three different habitat types - native forests (dominated by Juniperus brevifolia and Picconia azorica), semi-natural and intensively-managed pastures. Thirty-seven distinct spore morphotypes, representing ten glomeromycotan families, were detected. Species of the family Acaulosporaceae dominated the samples, with 13 species (38% of the taxa), followed by Glomeraceae (6 spp.), Diversisporaceae (4 spp.), Archaeosporaceae (3 spp.), Claroideoglomeraceae (3 spp.), Gigasporaceae (3 spp.), Ambisporaceae and Paraglomeraceae, both with the same number of AMF species (2 spp.), Sacculosporaceae (1 sp.) and Entrophospora (family insertae sedis). Members of the family Acaulosporaceae occurred almost exclusively in the native forests especially associated with the Picconia azorica rhizosphere, while members of Gigasporaceae family showed a high tendency to occupy the semi-natural pastures and the native forests of Picconia azorica. Members of Glomeraceae family were broadly distributed by all types of habitat which confirm the high ecological plasticity of this AMF family to occupy the more diverse habitats.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF); Juniperus brevifolia; Picconia azorica; native forest; semi-natural and intensive pastures.

Catarina Drumonde Melo, Christopher Walker, Helena Freitas, Artur Câmara Machado, Paulo A. V. Borges.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia – Governo dos Açores (M3.1.a/F/059/2016; M3.1.a/F/012/2016) and by the Development Grant (IF/00462/2013) from the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) Portugal with national funds and co-funded by FEDER and COMPETE 2020 program. This research was also funded by the Portuguese Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (SFRH/BD/18355/2004; SFRH/BPD/78059/2011) and by the Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia – Governo dos Açores (M3.1.a/F/059/2016). Data acquisition from the native forest was funded by the project FCT-PTDC /AGR-ALI/122152/2010. This manuscript is also a contribution to the updated checklist of Azorean

Fungi

that is being prepared within the newly launched project AZORESBIOPORTAL – PORBIOTA (ACORES-01-0145-FEDER-000072), financed by FEDER in 85% and by Azorean Public funds by 15% through Operational Program Azores 2020.