Abstract: With the combination of root staining and PCR-DGGE, the seasonal variation of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in Caragana korshinskii roots was investigated; and by the methods of principal component analysis and canonical correspondence analysis, the relationships between this variation and soil factors were analyzed. It was found that the total infection rate of AMF and the infection rates of arbuscules and vesicles in C. korshinskii roots as well as the spore density of AMF in soil varied significantly among seasons. From spring to autumn, the total infection rate of AMF had a decreasing trend, whereas the other three indicators were in adverse. A total of nine AMF phylotypes were detected in spring, summer, and autumn, but the community composition and diversity indices of AMF had definite differences among the seasons. The infection rate of vesicles decreased with increasing soil total N, P, and organic C, while the spore density of AMF increased with decreasing soil moisture and available P. The seasonal variation of AMF community composition in C. korshinskii roots was mainly affected by soil total P, available P, and organic C.

Key words: cucumber, soil compaction stress, aerobic respiration, anaerobic respiration.