Arbuscular mycorrhiza and fungal root endophytes of weeds in an altitudinal gradient in the Pamir Alai Mountains of Central Asia

Arbuscular mycorrhiza and fungal root endophytes of three weeds, Galium tricornutum, Lycopsis orientalis and Scandix pecten-veneris, were studied in an altitudinal gradient of the Pamir Alai Mountains. Colonisation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) was found in all species. Only in the case of G. tricornutum was there a rise in mycorrhizal parameters values found for the medium altitude range. Similar tendencies were observed in the case of the AMF colonisation potential assessment. This suggests that plant species' identity, dependency on symbiosis and interactions with soil properties determine root colonisation and the abundance of AMF in soils at the elevations in question. Four AMF…