Inoculation of grass and tree seedlings used for reclaiming eroded areas in Iceland with mycorrhizal fungi

The objective of this study was to investigate the response of plant species used for reclamation of eroded areas in Iceland to inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi. In a greenhouse trial, Leymus arenarius and Deschampsia beringensis were grown in pots with volcanic ash collected from a site near the Mt. Hekla volcano in Iceland and were inoculated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) isolates Glomus mosseae BEG25 or Glomus intraradices BEG75. In two field experiments conducted on volcanic tephra fields near Mt. Hekla, a native soil inoculum or commercial inocula TerraVital-D and Terra Vital-G Ecto Mix were compared for efficacy on L. arenarius and Betula pubescens. After four months of growth, the presence of AMF in the pot experiment significantly increased the capacity of grass root systems to bind soil particles. In the field, inoculation significantly increased the number of L. arenarius plants, which emerged from seed and their subsequent survival and growth. Seedlings of B. pubescens grew best following inoculation with ectomycorrhizal fungal (ECMF) inoculum and a subsequent application of inorganic NP-fertilizer. The addition of native soil inoculum had almost no effect on growth of either grass or trees. Our results indicate that reclamation of eroded areas in Iceland could benefit from the use of appropriate mycorrhizal fungi, which might improve plant establishment and growth and increase soil aggregation and stability.