Exclosures restored the density and root colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Exclusion of grazing animals and tree plantations were among the methods used for the restoration of degraded lands in tropical semiarid areas. Exclosures can foster secondary forest succession by improving soil conditions and modifying microclimate for understory growth. This paper compared the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spore density, root colonization of woody plants and soil chemical properties under exclosure with increasing age, and grazing land at different slope positions. The study was conducted in northern Ethiopia from 12 exclosure sites paired each with adjacent grazing land in total from 24 sites with four treatments replicated three times. In the entire study, 216 plots were examined of which 108 were in exclosures and 108 in communal grazing lands. There were four age classes and three slope positions in each of the land uses. Composite soil and root samples were collected using nested plots measuring 100m2 from four sides of 1763 plants for spore enumeration and root colonization. Soils for chemical properties were collected from the four corners and center of 5 m × 5 m plots. All the 61 woody plant species that belong to 41 families were colonized by AMF. Spore density and root colonization were significantly higher in exclosures as compared to grazing land and increased with increasing ages of exclosures. Foot slope had significantly higher spore density and root colonization than middle and upper slopes. Soil chemical properties were significantly higher in the exclosure, oldest age of exclosure, and foot slope position (except P). AMF spore density and root colonization were significantly positively correlated with soil chemical properties. Exclosures are helpful to restore the AMF spore density and root colonization of woody species and soil fertility.