Arbuscular Mycorrhiza - Phytoremediation

Phytoremediation

The use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in ecological restoration projects (phytoremediation) has been shown to enable host plant establishment on degraded soil and improve soil quality and health.

Disturbance of native plant communities in desertification-threatened areas is often followed by degradation of physical and biological soil properties, soil structure, nutrient availability, and organic matter.

When restoring disturbed land, it is essential to replace not only the above ground vegetation but also the biological and physical soil properties.

A relatively new approach to restoring land and protecting against desertification is to inoculate the soil with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi with the reintroduction of vegetation. A long-term study demonstrated that a significantly greater long-term improvement in soils' quality parameters was attained when the soil was inoculated with a mixture of indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species compared to the noninoculated soil and soil inoculated with a single exotic species of AM fungi (Figure 2). The benefits observed were an increased plant growth and soil nitrogen content, higher soil organic matter content, and soil aggregation. The improvements were attributed to the higher legume nodulation in the presence of AMF, better water infiltration, and soil aeration due to soil aggregation.

Inoculation with native AM fungi increased plant uptake of phosphorus, improving plant growth and health. The results support the use of AM fungi as a biological tool in the restoration of biotopes to self-sustaining ecosystems.