Slight dependence of temperate-forest herbaceous plants, Geum urbanum and Senecio ovatus, on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enables them to colonise soils with a low level of AMF abundance

The goal of this study was to analyse whether two herbaceous species Geum urbanum (Rosaceae) and Senecio ovatus (Asteraceae) are influenced by AMF at an angle of their growth, photosynthetic performance, and N and P contents in biomass. Both plants were inoculated with three widespread AMF species, Claroideoglomus claroideum, Funneliformis geosporus and Funneliformis mosseae, present in forest ecosystems around the world, therein in soils of beech and riparian forests, where both plants are present. Our study showed that AMF had a slight influence on the performance of G. urbanum and S. ovatus at the early stages of their development. However the direction and magnitude of plant responses is linked with fungal species and soil properties.