Endomycorrhizal diversity analysis of forest plant species of Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest (NRF), Nongpoh, Meghalaya, India

The rhizospheric soil samples of Nongkhyllem Reserve Forest, Nongpoh, Meghalaya were screened for endomycorrhizal qualitative and quantitative analysis. Hyphal infection/colonization was present in all rhizospheric soil samples, whereas vesicular infection was found scarce and absent in most of the rhizospheric samples. It is observed that scrubs, herbs, and shrubs had high p H values than trees. Percent total colonization in roots was also low in scrubs and trees than herbs and shrubs whereas climbers were having high total endomycorrhizal colonization in roots. Shrubs and trees were having more AM spore numbers than scrubs. Percent colonization intensity and percent hyphal infection in roots in case of herbs, shrubs and climbers were high than trees and scrubs. Percent vesicular infection was also low in trees and shrubs than herbs. Percent arbuscular infection was again low in case of scrubs and trees than shrubs, herbs and climbers but trees were having more percent organic carbon than shrubs, herbs and climbers. The soil temperature in scrubs and trees was high than shrubs, climbers and herbs. But AM spore numbers increased with elevation. Total root colonization (%), hyphal infection (%), arbuscular infection (%) and colonization intensity (%) gradually decreased with elevation. At lowest elevation the organic carbon (%) was low. There was no any significant change in p H value, but little fluctuation was reported with elevation and it occurred in acidic range. The diversity index of Umtasor range was 0.036 and that of Nongpoh range was 0.049. The correlation coefficient (r) between species richness and diversity index was 0.54 (positive correlation) and it suggests that species richness is positively correlated with diversity index in the reserve forest.