Community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in a broad-leaved forest in the Fukiage Garden of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Japan

The community of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi was examined in Fukiage Garden Forest at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan. The AM fungal community was clearly distinguished from those of the previously studied Japanese temperate forests. Some of the dominant AM fungi in the Fukiage Garden Forest were species-described fungi, which contrasts with those in the Japanese temperate forests. Since AM fungal species have been described based on spore morphology, the present result suggests that the dominant AM fungi may have relatively higher spore productivity. The Imperial Palace had been the Edo Castle until the latter half of the 1800s, after which, through various vegetation, the Fukiage Garden Forest was developed. Accordingly, it is likely that the AM fungi with higher sporulation in past vegetation may have been retained in the current AM fungal community of the isolated forest.