B07 – Functional diversity of mycorrhizal fungi along a tropical land-use gradient
Functional root community traits and tropical forest transformation
Josephine Sahner1, Sri Wilarso Budi2, Henry Barus3, Nur Edy1,3, Marike Meyer4, Marife
5
1
Corré , Andrea Polle
1Georg-August-University
Göttingen, Dept. of Forest Botany and Tree Physiology
2Bogor Agricultural University, Dept. of Silviculture
3Tadulako University Palu, Dept. of Agrotechnology
4Georg-August-University Göttingen, Institute for Geography
5Georg-August-University Göttingen, Dept. for Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems
Contact: : jsahner@gwdg.de
The effect of forest transformation on root functional traits is unknown. Here, we hypothesized that chemical and performance traits of
root communities vary with forest transformation and that degradation of traits is linked with loss of ecosystem functions.
increasing land-use gradient
Jungle-Rubber (J)
Rubber (R)
Oil palm (O)
Rainforest (F)
Root community traits as indicator for transformation of
rain forests to oil palm and rubber plantations
Sampling and Processing
Soil cores were sampled in all 32 core plots.
Decrease of positive chemical root community
traits with increase of land-use
A
B
1: Sampling in a rubber
plantation.
2: soil corer and hammer. 3: equipment (A) and soil
core (B).
Analyses of root vitality and ectomycorrhizal (EM) colonization
were conducted. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) spore abundance in
A
soil and AM root colonization were determined.
Vital root tips
Dead root tips
B
50µm
5: EM root tip from J.
6: Non-EM root tip from R .
7: Dead root tips from O.
8: AM spores (A) and AM
arbuscles (B) in F.
Root biomass was measured. Element analysis of fine roots, soil
and leaf litter samples were carried out.
Results
EM fungi were rare, AM colonization was
unaffected by land-use system, but AM spore
abundance varied strongly
Root community functional parameters (RCFPs) are related
to forest transformation
HJ
HO
BJ
HF
HJ
HO
HF
HF HF
HO
BO
BF
BJ
HO
BO
BF
HR
HJ
BO
BO
HR
HR
BR
HJ
BF
BR
BF
BR
BJ
BR
BJ
HR
Conclusions
We found a decline of positive RCFPs (e.g. biomass, nutrient concentrations) in mono-culture oil palm plantations and an accumulation
of toxic elements in oil palm roots and a higher root mortality. Our results suggest that land management that improves root vitality may
enhance the ecological functions of intense tropical production systems.
CRC 990: Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest
Transformation Systems Sumatra, Indonesia
Final Workshop 1. Phase, March 23 - 24, 2015, Göttingen
University of Göttingen
Bogor Agricultural University
University of Jambi
Tadulako University