Adaptation of plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to coal tailings in Indiana

We tested the potential for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to mediate plant adaptation to mine soil conditions utilizing a full factorial experiment involving two fungal communities, two ecotypes of plants and two soil types. We found that plants grew larger with fungal communities derived from mine soil regardless of the soil type in which they were grown. There was no evidence that the plants suffered from aluminum toxicity; however, plants grown in coal tailings produced far less biomass than those grown in low-nutrient clay soil. Andropogon virginicus L. grown from seeds collected from a coal mine had increased allocation to roots in sterile soil. Plantago lanceolata L. grown from seeds collected from a coal mine also showed an increased allocation to roots. We concluded that harsh edaphic conditions may help reinforce the symbiotic relationship between plants and AM fungi, resulting in more beneficial symbionts.