The history of Solidago canadensis invasion and the development of its mycorrhizal associations in newly-reclaimed land

This study examined the associations between an invasive alien plant ( Solidago canadensis L.) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in relation to the invasion history of S. canadensis on Chongming Island, China. A significant positive correlation was found between invasion time and AMF colonisation rate. The total number of AMF species increased with increasing invasion time and was positively related to the number of plant species occurring in plant communities, suggesting that the invasion time and plant diversity influence the diversity of AMF species. The relative abundance of two dominant AMF species, Glomus mosseae and G. constrictum, varied systematically with invasion time. In dry habitats, the relative abundance of G. mosseae increased with the invasion time of S. canadensis, while that of G. constrictum decreased with the invasion time. However, these relationships did not exist in the wet habitats. Our results suggest that certain AMF species might have helped S. canadensis colonise newly-reclaimed habitats and that succession of belowground AMF communities may occur concomitantly with the development of the aboveground plant communities.