Root Associated Fungal Community Analysis in Quercus serrata and Acer palmatum Seedlings Inoculated with Different Soil Source in Kyoto, Japan

Dhiemas Mahendra, Dr. Ir. Handojo Hadi Nurjanto, M.Agr.Sc., IPU.; Dr. Ir. Sapto Indrioko, S.Hut., M.P., IPU.

2025 | Tesis | S2 Ilmu Kehutanan

Root-associated fungal community plays an important role in shaping the functioning and dynamics of forest ecosystems. Despite numerous studies have explored the dynamics of root-associated fungal communities, a gap in comprehensive understanding persists. The inherent complexity of forest ecosystem development as a systematic process demands further examination. This study investigates the influence of root-associated fungal communities on plant growth and forest ecosystem dynamics, focusing on Acer palmatum and Quercus serrata using environmental DNA metabarcoding. The study employed an experimental design where plants were cultivated individually in pots, grown with soil inoculum from 5 different adult tree, Quercus serrata, Acer palmatum, Quercus glauca, Clethra barbinervis, and Prunus jamasakura. The treatments included half of the pots being inoculated with sterilised soil, while the remaining half maintained their natural soil microbiome. The experimental design consists of three level factorial design, including two plant species, five soil inoculum treatments, and with or without soil sterilisation, with five replicates across a total of 100 experimental pots. Analysis indicated that plant species significantly affect root-associated fungal community composition, with Rhizophagus and Delastria being predominant genera for A. palmatum and Q. serrata, respectively. While soil source and sterilisation had limited impact on plant growth, A. palmatum showed reduced growth in its focal soil, unlike Q. serrata. Fungal diversity, Shannon indices, also positively correlated with the increase of plant dry weight in non-sterilised soils, demonstrating the role of root-associated fungal community in plants development.  The PERMANOVA results showed that plant species significantly affected the root-associated fungal community, but soil source and sterilisation treatment did not. These findings highlight the importance of root-associated fungal communities in forest ecosystems, influencing plant establishment, nutrient cycling, and soil resilience, thus providing insights for the development of sustainable forest management practices and/or conservation strategies.

Root-associated fungal community plays an important role in shaping the functioning and dynamics of forest ecosystems. Despite numerous studies have explored the dynamics of root-associated fungal communities, a gap in comprehensive understanding persists. The inherent complexity of forest ecosystem development as a systematic process demands further examination. This study investigates the influence of root-associated fungal communities on plant growth and forest ecosystem dynamics, focusing on Acer palmatum and Quercus serrata using environmental DNA metabarcoding. The study employed an experimental design where plants were cultivated individually in pots, grown with soil inoculum from 5 different adult tree, Quercus serrata, Acer palmatum, Quercus glauca, Clethra barbinervis, and Prunus jamasakura. The treatments included half of the pots being inoculated with sterilised soil, while the remaining half maintained their natural soil microbiome. The experimental design consists of three level factorial design, including two plant species, five soil inoculum treatments, and with or without soil sterilisation, with five replicates across a total of 100 experimental pots. Analysis indicated that plant species significantly affect root-associated fungal community composition, with Rhizophagus and Delastria being predominant genera for A. palmatum and Q. serrata, respectively. While soil source and sterilisation had limited impact on plant growth, A. palmatum showed reduced growth in its focal soil, unlike Q. serrata. Fungal diversity, Shannon indices, also positively correlated with the increase of plant dry weight in non-sterilised soils, demonstrating the role of root-associated fungal community in plants development.  The PERMANOVA results showed that plant species significantly affected the root-associated fungal community, but soil source and sterilisation treatment did not. These findings highlight the importance of root-associated fungal communities in forest ecosystems, influencing plant establishment, nutrient cycling, and soil resilience, thus providing insights for the development of sustainable forest management practices and/or conservation strategies.

Kata Kunci : Acer palmatum, Quercus serrata, root-associated fungal community