Abstract:

To determine the diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in the rhizosphere of tea plant (Camellia sinensis) in Laoshan region, Shandong Province, we selected and sampled 12 representative tea gardens. Soil samples were collected from these gardens in September 2007. Spores of AM fungi were identified to reveal the species richness, frequency, spore density, relative abundance, importance value and Shannon-Wiener indices of AM fungi. Species diversity and composition of AM fungal community were also compared among the 12 tea gardens. A total of 22 species belonging to three genera were identified according to the morphological characteristics of the spores isolated from soil samples collected using wet-sieving techniques. The relative abundance of the genus Acaulosporawas the highest, followed by Glomus. Soil samples from Xiaowang Village Tea Garden showed the highest spore density, while Gaojia Village soils were the lowest. Species richness in soil samples from Changjiacun Village and Sangyuan Village Tea Garden was significantly higher than that in other tea gardens. Species diversity was highest in the Changjiacun Village Tea Garden. Acaulospora laeviswas the dominant species in Beilao Tea Garden, Wanglijiang Tea Garden, Yingshanchun Tea Garden, Wanlijiang Organic Tea Garden, Changjia Village, and Sangyuan Village Tea Garden, while Acaulospora undulata was the most common species in Gaojiacun Village and Wanlaike Tea Garden. Glomus occultum occurred most frequently in Yingshanchun Tea Garden, Xiaowang Village and Wanlaike Tea Garden. Relationships between environmental factors and AM fungi spore density in the Laoshan Tea region were determined using Canonical Correspondence Analysis, and their relative degree of impact on density was as follows: available phosphorus content>soil organic matter content>tree age>soil available nitrogen content>soil pH>soil available potassium content.

Key words: mycorrhizal fungi, tea gardens, species richness, frequency, spore density, CCA analysis