Biodiversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungi in mangroves of Goa in West India

Seventeen mangrove species of eight families at seven riverine and fringe habitats in Goa West India were surveyed for Arbuscular Mycorrhizal (AM) fungal diversity. Sixteen species were found to be mycorrhizal and one species showed no AM fungal colonization. AM root colonization was recorded at all seven sites and ranged from 6%–77%. Maximum root colonization was recorded in Excoecaria agallocha (77%) and minimum colonization in Avicennia marina (6%). Paris-type colonization was predominant at all sites. Auxiliary cells were recorded in roots of Acanthus ilicifolius, Ceriops tagal and Sonneretia alba. AM fungal root colonization and spore density varied by plant species and site. Site average spore density ranged from 1.84 spores·g−1 to 0.54 spores·g−1 of soil. In total, 28 AM fungal species of five genera, viz. Glomus, Acaulospora, Scutellospora, Gigaspora and Entrophospora, were recovered. Glomus was the dominant genus, three species of which were sporocarpic forms. Maximum site species richness (SR) ranged from 16 to 5. Species richness was maximum in A. ilicifolius where seven species of three genera were recovered. Based on relative abundance (RA) and isolation frequency (IF), two common species, viz. G. intraradices and A. laevis, were recovered from all seven sites.