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Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) are widespread in plant communities and are important mediators of plant community structure. However, patterns of variation among species and linkages with above-ground traits have received much less attention. To address this research need, we surveyed plant species from a long-term study of old field succession for AM colonization. Root tissue was collected from five individuals for each of 46 species that represented a range of origins and life forms. Root samples were cleared, stained, and examined to determine the percentage of colonized hyphae area and the number of vesicles and arbuscules. Nonnative species had greater hyphal colonization than native taxa, and the number of vesicles produced in woody species was lower than in the herbaceous species of the system. AM were associated with above-ground traits in both woody and herbaceous taxa, suggesting mycorrhizae integrate with other plant traits to generate resource acquisition strategies. AM decreased as species peaked later in succession for herbaceous species but was not associated in woody species. These results suggest AM may play an important role in species invasion and overall plant functional strategies, but these relationships may vary based on plant life form. |
