Ectomycorrhizal utilization of different phosphorus sources in a glacier forefront in the Italian Alps

Aims In deglaciated surfaces, lithology influences habitat development. In particular, serpentinite inhibits soil evolution and plant colonization because of insufficient phosphorus (P) content, among other stressful properties. In nutrient-poor environments, ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) play a key role exploring the soil for P beyond the rhizosphere. In this study, we followed the role of EMF in accessing inorganic and organic P along two proglacial soil chronosequences in the Alps (NW Italy), respectively characterized by pure serpentinite till and serpentinite mixed with 10% of gneiss, and colonized by European Larch.