%0 Journal Article
%T Changes in Land Use System and Environmental Factors Affect Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Density and Diversity, and Enzyme Activities in Rhizospheric Soils of Acacia senegal (L.) Willd.
%A Fatou Ndoye
%A Aboubacry Kane
%A Eddy L¨¦onard Ngonkeu Mangaptch¨¦
%A Niokhor Bakhoum
%A Ars¨¨ne Sanon
%A Di¨¦gane Diouf
%A Mame Our¨¨ye Sy
%A Ez¨¦kiel Baudoin
%A Kandioura Noba
%A Yves Prin
%J ISRN Ecology
%D 2012
%R 10.5402/2012/563191
%X The responses of the soil microbial community features associated to the legume tree Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. including both arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) diversity and soil bacterial functions, were investigated under contrasting environmental conditions. Soil samples were collected during dry and rainy seasons in two contrasting rainfall sites of Senegal (Dahra and Goudiry, in arid and semiarid zone, resp.). Soils were taken from the rhizosphere of A. senegal both in plantation and natural stands in comparison to bulk soil. A multiple analysis revealed positive correlations between soil physicochemical properties, mycorrhizal potential and enzyme activities variables. The positive effects of A. senegal trees on soil mycorrhizal potential and enzyme activities indicates that in sahelian regions, AMF spore density and diversity as well as soil microbial functions can be influenced by land-use systems (plantation versus natural population of A. senegal) and environmental conditions such as moisture and soil nutrient contents. Our study underlines the importance of prior natural AMF screening for better combinations of A. senegal seedlings with AMF species to achieve optimum plant growth improvement, and for restoration and reforestation of degraded lands. 1. Introduction Soil microorganisms and their enzymatic activities play key roles in the biochemical functioning of soils, including soil organic matter formation and degradation and nutrient cycling [1]. However, much less is known on the status of enzyme activities in semiarid regions as a function of land-use and management systems [2]. Additionally, the study of several enzyme activities together can provide information on the influence of soils, vegetation, and climatic factors on soil ecosystem functioning and quality [3]. This information would allow the selection of more sustainable and economically feasible cropping systems that guarantee the viability of agricultural activities in semiarid soils [2]. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are one of the most widespread and important components of the soil microbiota in natural and agricultural systems [4]. They form symbiotic associations with their host plants and improve their water and nutrient uptake like phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), and micronutrients, and act as biocontrol agents against plant pathogens [5]. Furthermore, species composition and productivity of plant communities were shown to be conditioned by AMF species richness and diversity [6]. In Senegal, a few studies were done on the diversity of AMF [7¨C9]. For instance,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn.ecology/2012/563191/