Effects of inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungi on microbial biomass and bacterial functional diversity in the rhizosphere of Pinus tabulaeformis seedlings

This study investigated the effects of inoculation with three individual ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal species on soil microbial biomass carbon and indigenous bacterial community functional diversity in the rhizosphere of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) seedlings under field experimental conditions. The results showed that ECM fungal inoculation significantly increased the ectomycorrhizal colonization compared with non-inoculated seedlings. ECM fungal inoculations have higher soil microbial biomass carbon than that of control, ranging from 49.6 μg C g−1 dry soil in control to 134.02 μg C g−1 dry soil in treatment inoculated with Boletus luridus Schaeff ex Fr. Multivariate analyses (PCA) of BIOLOG data revealed that the application of ECM fungi significantly influenced bacterial functional diversity in the rhizosphere of P. tabulaeformis seedlings. The highest average well-color development (AWCD) and functional diversity indices were also observed in treatment inoculated with B. luridus. A wider range of sole carbon sources were utilized by the bacterial community in the rhizosphere of inoculated seedlings. The data gathered from this study provides important information for utilization of ECM fungi in forest restoration project in the Northwestern China. The present study will also significantly broaden our understanding of practical importance in the application of ECM fungal inoculum to promote soil microbial community diversity of soil.