Edaphic and host plant factors are linked to the composition of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in the root zone of endangered Ulmus chenmoui Cheng in China.

Despite the importance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) within deciduous forest ecosystems, we know little about how natural AMF communities are structured in the root zone of the endangered elm species Ulmus chenmoui. In this study, three U. chenmoui sampling sites, differing with respect to plant health, age, and growth status, were selected in Anhui Province, China. AMF biodiversity in the root zones of individual U. chenmoui trees was investigated using high-throughput sequencing. In total, 61 AMF operational taxonomic units were detected. Five genera, namely Glomus (62.82%), Paraglomus (17.82%), Rhizophagus (4.29%), Septoglomus (4.06%) and Funneliformis (2.35%), and 29 species of AMF were identified. Correlation analysis indicated that available soil phosphorus and potassium concentrations were the main edaphic factors influencing AMF community structure. There was a difference in AMF species richness among the three U. chenmoui stands. Our study showed that soil nutrient concentrations and plant health, age, and growth status can exert a selective effect on the composition of the AMF population in the soil in the root zones of U. chenmoui trees.