Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities associated with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in the acidic, oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi contribute globally to ecosystem services and play an important role in sustainable crop production. However, it is unclear which factors contribute most to their colonization and community structure at different sites, particularly in understudied ecosystems. This study investigated the AM fungal communities associated with switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) in the understudied acidic and oligotrophic pine barrens ecosystem using next-generation sequencing. Switchgrass was also sampled from agroecosystems, as well as, from a native prairie for comparison. The pine barrens switchgrass harbored a distinct AM fungal community − Acaulospora and Ambispora were almost exclusively found in the pine barrens sites, and some of these species may represent undescribed taxa. Glomus was the most ubiquitous AM fungal genus recovered from all sites. This study suggests differences in the AM fungal community structure under different soil properties and land uses. This is the first sequence-based report of the AM fungal communities in the pine barrens ecosystem.