Occurrence of mycorrhizal symbioses in the metal-rich lateritic soils of the Koniambo Massif, New Caledonia

• Published in: Mycorrhiza 2006-10, Vol.16 (7), p.449-458
• Main Authors: Perrier, N, Amir, H, Colin, F
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Altitude; Araucaria; bioaccumulation; Biological and medical sciences; Costularia; Costularia arundinacea; Costularia nervosa; Cyperaceae; Ecosystem; ectomycorrhizae; Endemic plants; Endemic species; Environmental restoration; Environmental Sciences; forest trees; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; geographical distribution; indigenous species; Lepidosperma perteres; Life Sciences; maquis; Metal concentrations; Metals - analysis; Microbial activity; mine spoil; mined soils; Mycorrhizae - isolation & purification; Mycorrhizae - physiology; New Caledonia; Nickel; Nothofagus; Nothofagus balansae; Parasitism and symbiosis; Phyllanthus; Phyllanthus favieri; phytoremediation; Plant physiology and development; Plant species; Plants - microbiology; roots; Soil - analysis; Soil Microbiology; soil pollution; Symbiosis; Tristaniopsis calobuxus; Tristaniopsis guillanii; ultramafic rocks; Valleys; vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizae
• ISSN: 0940-6360; 1432-1890
• DOI: 10.1007/s00572-006-0057-6

The occurrence of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) was surveyed in ten endemic plant species of the Koniambo Massif (New Caledonia) and associated metal-enriched ultramafic soils along a topographic sequence ranging from a plateau at 900 m altitude to a valley at 700 m. In the four different plant formations (Araucaria group on the plateau, ligno-herbaceous maquis, Tristaniopsis maquis and Nothofagus forest in the valley), all plants were consistently colonised by AM fungi, even the sedges Costularia arundinacea, C. nervosa and Lepidosperma perteres and the nickel-hyperaccumulating plant Phyllanthus favieri. Dual (AM and ectomycorrhiza EM) colonisation was observed in the two plant formations dominated by the ectomycorrhizal plants Nothofagus balansae for the forest (site 4) and Tristaniopsis guillainii and T. calobuxus for the Tristaniopsis maquis (site 3). In the soils, there are strong positive correlations between microbial activity, black AM spore abundance and concentrations of available metals indicating the role of the biotic component in the release of metals. These results suggest that these symbioses are important in the adaptation of the endemic plants to these soils, and may be relevant to ecological restoration of the ancient nickel mines.