Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Communities in Grassland Restorations
Session Number
Project ID: BIO 03
Advisor(s)
Dr. Jennifer Bell, Northern Illinois University
Discipline
Biology
Start Date
20-4-2022 10:05 AM
End Date
20-4-2022 10:20 AM
Abstract
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) is a type of soil fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots to assist the plant with gathering nutrients throughout the soil and managing water stress. We compared the AMF communities of an abandoned field inside the Morton Arboretum between 2016 and 2021 to determine if the addition of native tallgrass prairie plants, a different plant community prior to what was there before, has allowed for any sort of restoration to the area.
Soil samples taken from 2016 through 2021 were treated, and the DNA was isolated. Purified DNA was sent for sequencing and differences between the samples were noted. The AMF community present in 2021 is significantly different than the community present in 2016 (p=.001). This suggests that environments supporting AMF communities can recover from agricultural use and abandonment over time.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Communities in Grassland Restorations
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) is a type of soil fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with plant roots to assist the plant with gathering nutrients throughout the soil and managing water stress. We compared the AMF communities of an abandoned field inside the Morton Arboretum between 2016 and 2021 to determine if the addition of native tallgrass prairie plants, a different plant community prior to what was there before, has allowed for any sort of restoration to the area.
Soil samples taken from 2016 through 2021 were treated, and the DNA was isolated. Purified DNA was sent for sequencing and differences between the samples were noted. The AMF community present in 2021 is significantly different than the community present in 2016 (p=.001). This suggests that environments supporting AMF communities can recover from agricultural use and abandonment over time.