FIELD APPLICATION OF AM FUNGI FOR PHYTOREMEDIATION OF OIL-BRINE SPILL SITES

Barrett Clark*
Wes Colgan III
Milan Vavrek
Louisiana Tech University
School of Biological Sciences
PO Box 3179
Ruston, LA 71272
Voice: 318-257-4573
Fax: 318-257-4574
E-mail: wcolgan@latech.edu

Virtually all of the world's terrestrial plant species require mycorrhizal fungi for survival, growth, and reproduction. These fungi are an extension of the plant's root system, granting access to water and nutrients otherwise not available to the plant host. These unseen organisms play more than a supportive role in ecosystems, they are directly responsible for nutrient cycling and development of soil structure. This below ground aspect of ecosystems has been overlooked in the development and implementation of most restoration strategies. Restoration of ecosystems will require restoration of the below ground community, particularly where there is little or no organic matter in the topsoil. Mycorrhizal fungal tolerance to contamination varies, however. Many researchers have shown strain level differences in performance of these fungi with respect to environmental stressors such as salinity, pH, and heavy metal contaminants in soils. For this study we have hydroseeded several vascular plant species on an oil brine spill site and inoculated them with rhizosphere fungi. We will quantify the survival, growth and fecundity of plants through the growing season. Preliminary results suggest that AM fungi improved number of seedlings establishing on the spill site.