Nutrient uptake by mulberry and Chinese prickly ash associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Understanding how nutrient absorption processes in plants are related to arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) association is critical for predicting the effects of AM symbiosis on elemental cycling for plants. Both mulberry (Morus alba) and Chinese prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum) are AM-associated plants, widely distributed in southwest China. It was hypothesized that if the nutrient absorption processes were efficiently associated with AM symbiosis in both mulberry and Chinese prickly ash, foliar nutrient concentrations—especially calcium (Ca)—would be primarily determined by the soil conditions in different regions. To investigate this, AM colonization levels of soils, nutrient levels in soils and leaves, and δ¹³C values of leaves were analyzed for mulberry and Chinese prickly ash. In this study, spore density in soils with low pH was higher than that in soils with high pH. The average concentrations of sugar delivered to roots in both mulberry and Chinese prickly ash in soil with relatively low pH and soil extractable cations were higher than those in other areas. The values of foliar δ¹³C in both mulberry and Chinese prickly ash in low soil-pH and soil extractable cations were lower than those in contrast areas, indicating that water availability was impacted by soil characteristics. The efficiency in AM-mediated processes might play an important role in translocation between soil nutrients and plant tissue. The results suggest uptake and translocation of nutrients, especially Ca, in AM-associated plants may be affected by an efficiency of AM-mediated processes. Since Sr does not appear to be similarly affected, expressing Ca and other nutrient concentrations relative to Sr could be used to evaluate whether the uptake and translocation of Ca and other nutrients are affected by AM-mediated processes.