XVI International Botanical Congess

In coastal sand dunes, plants are subjected to considerable stress from deficiency in the major nutrients. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are recognized for their role in increasing nutrient uptake. Since the beginnings of the XXth century all the studies have shown that most of the plants distributed in temperate and tropical sand dunes are heavily colonized by AMF. The AM colonization percentage of roots, spore abundance and external mycelium is related to the position and season in the dunes, increasing with stabilization. The external mycelium of these fungi binds the sand grains together, playing a significant role in the formation of aggregates. Other investigations have been directed towards the role of mycorrhizae in survival establishment and growth of sand dune species. Plants differ in their growth response to AMF. However, the high mycorrhizal responsiveness of some early and late seral species suggests a key role of AM fungi in plant nutrition of coastal species. These studies confirm the importance of AMF in the management and conservation of these ecosystems.