Observations on the Mycorrhizal Status of Some Alpine Plant Communities

SUMMARY In some Austrian alpine plant communities, levels of vesicular‐arbuscular mycorrhizal infection are highest in closed herb‐rich communities of intermediate altitudes (1900 to 2500 m). In fertilized hay meadows of lower altitudes (1600 m) and in the nival zone above 3000 m, endogonaceous infection is light. In the latter, it is mainly by the fine endophyte, Glomus tenuis. Many plants throughout the altitudinal range of the survey are infected with dark septate hyphae and, in the Cyperaceae, this is the dominant infection. Ectomycorrhizas occur on some herbaceous species as well as on Salix up to 2500 m. The possible significance of the infection patterns is discussed.