Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi Diversity in the Root–Rhizosphere–Soil of Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr in Western Ordos, China

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

agronomy – Paper Review

Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi Diversity in the Root and Rhi- zosphere Soil of Three Endangered Plants in Western Ordos, 3 China

 

Paper Section	Comment(s)
Title	A small adjustment in title is suggested like; If possible, please mention the names of all three plants endangered species in title also. Some other soil factors connected to AMF like pH, heavy metals contents are suggested to add in title. Please format the title properly and word “Rhi-zosphere” should be reconsidered grammatically. The first letter of connecting words or punctuations must be small.
Abstract	The Abstract of manuscript is very brief and self-explanatory to the readers. It clearly reflects the study design and brief about methodology used. The researchers have demonstrated the role of AMF in different agroecological environment zones but didn’t mention that in which agroecological condition the actual study was conducted. It would be good to present some results figures in one or two lines in abstract. It’s good that you have written a conclusive statement at the end of the abstract. The research gap is missing in abstract; it will make the abstract attractive if one or two lines should be added for research gape.
Introduction	The introduction section is very long and all information is summarized is one paragraph and some information in not placed accurately that need to be reorganized. Many of sentences and information is more like recommendations in the introduction which is not a good idea. It’s better to focus on the rationale of study and problem being addressed in the study.   Introduction section need to reorganized in 3-4 small paragraphs rather so lengthy mixed information. Some lines or paragraphs about soil chemical factors like pH, nutrient status related to AMF should be added. The supportive references should be latest, more than five years old references should be skipped. Also, the reference should be cross-referenced for reviewer ease. Objectives of study are missing, advised to add key-note objectives.
Material and Methods	Sampling technique must be clearly defined in the methodology as the whole study is based on sampling. Please try to mention the soil type by textural class rather than its color like brown soil and grey desert soil which in difficult to understand the texture of soil on color basis. The figures should be cleared and font size should also be increase for clear vision. Overall methodology is well elaborated.
Results and discussion	The results and discussions are well elaborated, the researchers hard work and devotion to research is highly appreciated.   The figures and writing on figures are very small, advise to improve the quality of figures for reviewer’s ease.   .
Conclusion	The conclusion of the study is very short. Some more lines from results should be added for better and clear knowledge of study so that young researchers can easily review the manuscript for scientific write-up. Some more lines about research gape need to add.
General Comment	Overall, the manuscript seems good with brief methodology, results and discussion.   The citation and references styles are homogenous which is good.   Overall manuscript is good and recommended for publication after incorporating the comments and thorough proof reading. Manuscript needs thorough proof reading and corrections before publication.

Language, wording and paraphrasing should be carefully reviewed and improved. A native English-speaking scientist or professional English editing service must edit your manuscript.

Author Response

Revision Notes

Dear Editor:

 

Thank you for your kind letter of “Agronomy-2386310 - Editor decision -Minor Revisions” on May 4, 2023.

 

Generally, we appreciate the editor and reviewer’s insightful comments, which are helpful for improving the manuscript. We are thankful to reviewer #1, #2 and #3 comments, which are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper. Based on editor and reviewers' comments and requests, we have made major modification in the revised manuscript. Below is a summary of our responds to the reviewers' comments.

 

In revision notes, the line numbers refer to the PDF vision of the revised manuscript.

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

 

Reviewer’s insightful comments

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

We have highlighted the changes in red according to reviewer #1 comments in the annotated version of the revised manuscript (Revision, changes marked).

 

 

Title section

 

1. A small adjustment in title is suggested like; If possible, please mention the names of all three plants endangered species in title also. Some other soil factors connected to AMF like pH, heavy metals contents are suggested to add in title.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. In the paper, we also added some soil factors related to AM fungi. Heavy metals in soil in the study area were not taken into account, so no measurements were made. So, we will take this factor into account in future studies.

 

Line3-4:We have revised the title" Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi Diversity in the Root and Rhizosphere Soil of Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr in Western Ordos, China".

 

2. Please format the title properly and word “Rhi-zosphere” should be reconsidered grammatically. The first letter of connecting words or punctuations must be small.

 

We appreciate the reviewer's insightful comments. According to the comments given by the reviewer, we have appropriate revisions in the texts.

 

Line3: "Root-rhizosphere-soil" instead of " Root and Rhizosphere Soil "

 

Abstract section

 

3. The researchers have demonstrated the role of AMF in different agroecological environment zones but didn’t mention that in which agroecological condition the actual study was conducted. It would be good to present some results figures in one or two lines in abstract. It’s good that you have written a conclusive statement at the end of the abstract.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. We have added and changed some informative and key sentences in the texts.

 

Line30-31:Added "These findings can serve as a guide for the use of AM fungus in the rehabilitation of agricultural land in arid regions".

 

4. The research gap is missing in abstract; it will make the abstract attractive if one or two lines should be added for research gape.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We have added and changed some informative and key sentences in the texts.

 

Line 16-17 : "little research" instead of "limit ".

Line 18-19: Changed “In this study, to gain insights into the diversity of AMF colonization in Zygophyllaceae R. Br” to “ To address this research gap, in this study, we investigated the characteristics and diversity of AMF colonization in Zygophyllaceae”.

 

Introduction section

 

5. 5. The introduction section is very long and all information is summarized is one paragraph and some information in not placed accurately that need to be reorganized. Many of sentences and information is more like recommendations in the introduction which is not a good idea. It’s better to focus on the rationale of study and problem being addressed in the study.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. We have added and changed some informative and key sentences in the texts.

 

Line 46-49: We have revised the sentence and reference"Previous studies have shown that these plants survived through long-term evolution by interacting with microorganisms in the soil and adapted to the arid and barren environmental conditions of the region by utilizing dormancy, suspended animation and other unique survival and ecological strategies[6]".

 

Line 55-60: We have revised the sentence "In the past few years, research has focused on the phylogeography and conservation genetics of endangered plant populations[9]. So far, the diversity of AM fungi in the rhizosphere and rhizosphere of endangered plants has not been studied. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the diversity of AM fungi community in the rhizosphere of endangered plants for their adaptation to the environment."

 

Line 65-69: We have revised the sentence and reference "AMF hyphae penetrate plant roots while colonizing the soil environment，thereby enhancing nutrient (e.g. phosphorus, several micronutrients) and water uptake while providing a large number of other benefits to host plants such as drought stress, enhanced tolerance of salinity, low pH and heavy metal contamination[14,15,16,17]".

 

6. 6. Introduction section need to reorganized in 3-4 small paragraphs rather so lengthy mixed information. Some lines or paragraphs about soil chemical factors like pH, nutrient status related to AMF should be added. The supportive references should be latest, more than five years old references should be skipped. Also, the reference should be cross-referenced for reviewer ease. Objectives of study are missing, advised to add key-note objectives.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We have added and changed some informative and key sentences in the texts.

 

Line 70-73: We have revised the sentence "Previous studies have shown that the symbiotic relationship that has developed between plants and AMF is considered a strategy for growth under various stress conditions, most notably in semi-arid, low-nutrient soil conditions.

 

Line 73-74: Added “AM fungi can reduce soil pH, increase soil carbon and nitrogen content, change soil aggregates and improve soil fertility[20,21]".

 

Line 82-85: We have revised the sentence "Therefore, it is of great significance to explore the interaction between the rhizosphere and AM fungi in the roots of endangered plants in extreme or endemic habitats for future research on the use of fungal inoculation to promote the growth of endangered plants".

 

Line 92-98: We have revised the sentence "However, the diversity and distribution characteristics of AM fungi community in the root and rhizosphere soil of three endangered plants under natural conditions remain unclear. In addition, the effects of some soil physicochemical factors on the community structure of AM fungi in rhizosphere soil remain to be studied. To address these issues, the high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) analyzed the AM fungi communities of Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr in Western Ordos".

 

Material and Methods section

 

7. Sampling technique must be clearly defined in the methodology as the whole study is based on sampling. Please try to mention the soil type by textural class rather than its color like brown soil and grey desert soil which in difficult to understand the texture of soil on color basis. The figures should be cleared and font size should also be increase for clear vision.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. We have increased the size of the picture and changed the resolution of the picture.

Line 119: We have deleat The soil types consist of brown soil, sandy soil, and gray desert soil.

 

Results and discussion section

8. The figures and writing on figures are very small, advise to improve the quality of figures for reviewer’s ease.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. We have improved the quality of figures.

 

Conclusion section

 

10. The conclusion of the study is very short. Some more lines from results should be added for better and clear knowledge of study so that young researchers can easily review the manuscript for scientific write-up. Some more lines about research gape need to add.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We have added and changed some informative and key sentences in the texts.

 

Line 509-513: Added “The dominant AM fungi in the root and rhizosphere soil of the three endangered plants include Glomus, Septoglomus and Rhizophagus, and their proportions are different in different plants. In addition, TP, TN, OM and pH had significant effects on AM fungal community diversity in rhizosphere soil of three endangered plants".

 

Comments on the Quality of English Language

 

11. Language, wording and paraphrasing should be carefully reviewed and improved. A native English-speaking scientist or professional English editing service must edit your manuscript.

 

We are thankful to the editor’s insightful comments.This manuscript have already revised the grammatical errors by a native English speaker.

 

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you. Finally, we are very grateful to the reviewer’s and editor’s understanding and affirmation again. We wish the article can be published in Agronomy.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript ID agronomy-2386310 entitled " Arbuscular Mycorrhizae Fungi Diversity in the Root and Rhizosphere Soil of Three Endangered Plants in Western Ordos, China"  The  aim of the study is a good  and deserves appreciation, but the manuscript needs minor modifications in order to be in line with international publication. There are typographical errors, and there are sentences written in an inaccurate style, and some materials and methods are not cleared.  The  following correction must be done before acceptance:

Abstract : line 13:  change ( A Arbuscular ) to (Arbuscular)

Line 18 :what the abbreviation  ( R. Br.,)  ?

Materials and methods :

What is the total number of samples used? What is the number of samples for each treatment? It was mentioned once 19 and again 18 (see lines 136 and 207).

Figure 2 needs to high resolution .

Please check that Sections 3.2 and 3.3 have the same title (Relationship between sample and species).

Materials and methods needs to more details.

Quality of English Language needs to minor modifications.

Author Response

Revision Notes

Dear Editor:

 

Thank you for your kind letter of “Agronomy-2386310 - Editor decision -Minor Revisions” on May 4, 2023.

 

Generally, we appreciate the editor and reviewer’s insightful comments, which are helpful for improving the manuscript. We are thankful to reviewer #1, #2 and #3 comments, which are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper. Based on editor and reviewers' comments and requests, we have made major modification in the revised manuscript. Below is a summary of our responds to the reviewers' comments.

 

In revision notes, the line numbers refer to the PDF vision of the revised manuscript.

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

 

 

Reviewer’s insightful comments

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

We have highlighted the changes in yellow according to reviewer #2 comments in the annotated version of the revised manuscript (Revision, changes marked).

 

1. Abstract: line 13: change ( A Arbuscular ) to (Arbuscular)

 

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. According to the comments given by the reviewer, we have appropriate revisions in the texts.

 

Line 14: "Arbuscular" instead of "A Arbuscular".

 

2. Line 18 :what the abbreviation( R. Br.,)?

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript.

Line 19: "Zygophyllaceae" instead of "Zygophyllaceae R. Br.,".

 

3. Materials and methods :What is the total number of samples used? What is the number of samples for each treatment? It was mentioned once 19 and again 18 (see lines 136 and 207).

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript. Each treatment group had 3 replicates, 9 soil samples and 9 root samples, a total of 18.

Line 128: "18" instead of "19".

4. Figure 2 needs to high resolution .

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We reprocessed the figure 2 and improved the resolution of the figure.

5. Please check that Sections 3.2 and 3.3 have the same title (Relationship between sample and species).

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript.

 

Line 230: "Analysis of AM fungi composition in Root-rhizosphere-soil of three endangered plants" instead of "Relationship between sample and species".

 

Line 254: "LEfSe analysis and functional characteristics" instead of "Relationship between sample and species".

 

6. Materials and methods needs to more details.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. We are very sorry for not clearly describing this content in the previous manuscript.

 

Line129-135: Added " Three 10×10m quadrats were set, and 3 repeated samples were collected from each of the three plants, that is, 18 samples were collected from each quadrat and mixed. We then mixed the various plants into three composite samples of each plant. We collected the whole plant, including the surrounding soil in chunks (about 50 cm long, 50 cm wide and 40-50 cm deep). A total of 18 individual samples of root and rhizosphere soil were obtained after treatment, representing 3 duplicate samples of 3 species of plants".

 

Line 181-184: Added "Soil samples were collected at a depth of 0-50cm for each plot. After field collection, fresh soil samples are placed on ice and transported immediately to a laboratory, where they are lightly sieved with 2mm nets to homogenize the soil and remove visible stones, soil organisms and plant debris".

 

7. Quality of English Language needs to minor modifications.

 

We are thankful to the editor’s insightful comments.This manuscript have already revised the grammatical errors by a native English speaker.

 

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you. Finally, we are very grateful to the reviewer’s and editor’s understanding and affirmation again. We wish the article can be published in Agronomy.

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Reviewer 3 Report

This is an interesting study that explore the diversity of AMF in the root and rhizosphere soil of three plants (Tetraena mongolica, Sarcozygium xanthoxylon, and Nitraria tangutorum Bobr). This research study can provide important insights into how endangered plants adapt to harsh environment. results showed that AM fungi clearly colonize in the roots and rhizosphere soils of these plants. Rhizosphere soil AM fungi communities showed a greater sensitivity than root AM fungi communities. AM fungi communities of three plants affected by the interaction of soil physicochemical parameters.

The paper is generally well-written, but does need attention from a native English speaker.

-    - The abstract should be reformed: #......Glomus, Septoglomus and Rhizophagus were observed to function as dominant bacteria???????. Not bacteria.  It’is Fungi

-       - The discussion part needs to be improved and enriched.  The authors need to expand their discussion

-       -  New references should be included

 

 

 

no

Author Response

Revision Notes

Dear Editor:

 

Thank you for your kind letter of “Agronomy-2386310 - Editor decision -Minor Revisions” on May 4, 2023.

 

Generally, we appreciate the editor and reviewer’s insightful comments, which are helpful for improving the manuscript. We are thankful to reviewer #1, #2 and #3 comments, which are all valuable and very helpful for revising and improving our paper. Based on editor and reviewers' comments and requests, we have made major modification in the revised manuscript. Below is a summary of our responds to the reviewers' comments.

 

In revision notes, the line numbers refer to the PDF vision of the revised manuscript.

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

 

Reviewer’s insightful comments

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you.

We have highlighted the changes in green according to reviewer #3 comments in the annotated version of the revised manuscript (Revision, changes marked).

 

1.The paper is generally well-written, but does need attention from a native English speaker.

 

We are thankful to the editor’s insightful comments.This manuscript have already revised the grammatical errors by a native English speaker.

 

2. The abstract should be reformed: #......Glomus, Septoglomus and Rhizophagus were observed to function as dominant bacteria?. Not bacteria. It’is Fungi.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. According to the comments given by the reviewer, we have appropriate revisions in the texts.

 

Line 26: "dominant fungi" instead of "dominant bacteria".

 

3. The discussion part needs to be improved and enriched.The authors need to expand their discussion.

 

We appreciate the reviewer’s insightful comments. According to the comments given by the reviewer, we have appropriate revisions in the texts.

 

Line 388-393: Added "These results suggest that different host plants have different AM fungal community structures, depending on the plant's living environment and root exudates. In addition, the AM fungi community structure around root-rhizosphere-soil can enhance the nutrient absorption of plants and have an important effect on the secondary metabolites of plants. These characteristics of soil-root fungal communities can effectively promote nutrient utilization by endangered plants in poor soil conditions".

 

Line 401-407: Added "Glomus is the dominant genus of AM fungi in the rhizosphere of these endangered plants in arid areas, and is ecologically adaptable. Glomus can absorb and utilize organic nitrogen sources to promote plant growth and nutrient metabolism [58]. Studies have shown that Rhizophagus and Septoglomus can not only promote the absorption of insoluble phosphorus but also promote the absorption of organophosphates by plants. Under drought conditions, AM fungi can promote the growth of host plants and alleviate the persecution of plants caused by drought [59]".

 

Line 469-475: Added "The community composition of AM fungi is affected by many factors. For example, in the same habitat, AM fungal community composition of different plant species was affected by root characteristics and root exudates. The availability of nitrogen and phosphorus elements in soil affected the diversity of plant and AM fungi communities in different habitats. However, there are relatively few studies on the diversity of AM fungi community in arid desert environment by endangered plants and soil factors".

 

Line 486-487: Added "Phosphorus content can affect the growth and metabolic activity of AM fungi[81]".

 

Line 491-494: Added "Mycelium formed by AM fungi after infection of plants greatly increases the contact area between plant roots and soil, can greatly promote the absorption of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other nutrients by plants, improve plant stress resistance, and improve the living environment of plants[83]".

 

Line 498-500: Added "Different habitat and soil conditions regulated the diversity and distribution structure of AMF community and affected plant growth[84,85]".

 

4. New references should be included.

 

Line 516-517: We have revised the reference" 2. Zhu, G.P.; Li, H.Q.; Zhao, L.; Man, L.; Liu, Q. Mapping the ecological dimensions and potential distributions of endangered relic shrubs in western Ordos biodiversity center. Scientific Reports. 2016, 6, 26268".

 

Line 518-519：We have revised the reference" 3. Li, F.J.; Ma, X.K.; Lai, X.L. Petrography, geochemistry and genesis of dolomites in the upper Cambrian Sanshanzi Formation of the western Ordos Basin, northern China. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. 2022, 223, 104980".

 

Line 520-522：We have revised the reference" 4. Yang, Y.C; Jia, Y.; Zhao, Y.L.; Wang, Y.L.; Zhou, T. Comparative chloroplast genomics provides insights into the genealogical relationships of endangered Tetraena mongolica and the chloroplast genome evolution of related Zygophyllaceae species. Frontiers in Genetics. 2023, 13, 1026919".

 

Line 523-525：We have revised the reference" 5. Wang, Y.L.; Xu, Y.; Maitra, P.; Babalola, B.J.; Zhao, Y.L. Temporal variations in root-associated fungal communities of Potaninia mongolica, an endangered relict shrub species in the semi-arid desert of Northwest China. Frontiers in Plant Science. 2022, 13,975369".

 

Line 526-527：We have revised the reference" 6. Kang, P.; Fang, X.; Hu, J.P.; Zhang, Y.Q.; Ji, Q.B.; Liu, J.L.; Pan, Y.Q.; Zhang, J.L. Branch Lignification of the Desert Plant Nitraria tangutorum Altered the Structure and Function of Endophytic Microorganisms. Agronomy-Basel. 2023, 13, 1,90".

 

Line 531-532：We have revised the reference" 8. Zhai, B.; Dang, X.H.; Liu, X.J.; Wang, J. Fertile island effect in the sedimentary process of Tetraena mongolica Maxim nebkhas in steppe-desert ecotones on the Inner Mongolia Plateau, China. Journal of Mountain Science. 2022, 19, 10, 2791-2805".

Line 535-547：We have revised the reference" 10. Frew, A. Aboveground herbivory suppresses the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis, reducing plant phosphorus uptake. Applied soil ecology. 2021, 168: 104133.

11. Kalamulla, R.; Karunarathna, S.C.; Tibpromma, S.; Galappaththi, M.C.A.; Suwannarach, N.; Stephenson, S.L.; Asad, S.; Salem, Z.S.; Yapa, N. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainability. 2022, 14,19, 12250.
12. Rui, W.J.; Mao, Z.P.; Li, Z.F. The Roles of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Nutrient Transporters in the Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Symbiosis. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022, 23,19, 11027.
13. Adeyemi, N.O.; Atayese, M.O.; Sakariyawo, O.S.; Azeez, J.O.; Ridwan, M. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi species differentially regulate plant growth, phosphorus uptake and stress tolerance of soybean in lead contaminated soil.Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2021, 44,11, 1633-1648.
14. Hu, Y.N.; Pandey, A.K.; Wu, X.Y.; Fang, P.P.; Xu, P. The Role of Arbuscular Mycorrhiza Fungi in Drought Tolerance in Legume Crops: A Review. Legume Research. 2022, 45,1, 1-9.
15. Liu, Y.X.; Lu, J.H.; Cui, L.; Tang, Z.H.; Ci, D.W.; Zou, X.X.; Zhang, X.J.; Yu, X.A.; Wang, Y.F.; Si, T. The multifaceted roles of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in peanut responses to salt, drought, and cold stress. BMC Plant Biology. 2023, 23,1, 36".

 

Line 554-559：We have revised the reference" 18. Eagar, A.C.; Mushinski, R.M.; Horning, A.L.; Smemo, K.A.; Phillips, R.P.; Blackwood, C.B. Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Tree Communities Have Greater Soil Fungal Diversity and Relative Abundances of Saprotrophs and Pathogens than Ectomycorrhizal Tree Communities. Applied and environmental microbiology. 2022, 88,1, e01782-21.

19. Chen, Y.H.; Li, S.S.; Liu, N.; He, H.; Cao, X.Y.; Lv, C.; Zhang, K.; Dai, J.L. Effects of different types of microbial inoculants on available nitrogen and phosphorus, soil microbial community, and wheat growth in high-P soil. Environmental Science and Pollution Research. 2021, 28,18, 23036-23047".

Line 562-564：We have revised the reference" 21. Makaure, B.T.; Aremu, A.O.; Magadlela, A. Soil Nutritional Status Drives the Co-occurrence of Nodular Bacterial Species and Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Modulating Plant Nutrition and Growth of Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp) in Grassland and Savanna Ecosystems in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 2023, 23,1, 204-219".

 

Line 567-586：We have revised the reference" 23. Xu, F.J.; Song, S.L.; Ma, C.Y.; Zhang, W.; Sun, K.; Tang, M.J.; Xie, X.G.; Fan, K.K.; Dai, C.C. Endophytic fungus improves peanut drought resistance by reassembling the root-dwelling community of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Fungal Ecology. 2020, 48, 100993.

24. Wang, L.; Tang, Z.H. How do arbuscular mycorrhizas affect reproductive functional fitness of host plants?Frontiers in Plant Science. 2022, 13, 975488.
25. Dietrich, P.; Ferlian, O.; Huang, Y.Y.; Luo, S.; Quosh, J.; Eisenhauer, N. Tree diversity effects on productivity depend on mycorrhizae and life strategies in a temperate forest experiment.Ecology. 2023, 104,2.
26. Jabborova, D.; Annapurna, K.; Paul, S.; Kumar, S.; Saad, H.A.; Desouky, S.; Ibrahim, M.F.M.; Elkelish, A. Beneficial Features of Biochar and Arbuscular Mycorrhiza for Improving Spinach Plant Growth, Root Morphological Traits, Physiological Properties, and Soil Enzymatic Activities. Journal of fungi. 2021, 7, 7,571.
27. Moukarzel, R.; Ridgway, H.J.; Waller, L.; Guerin-Laguette, A.; Cripps-Guazzone, N.; Jones, E.E. Soil Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Communities Differentially Affect Growth and Nutrient Uptake by Grapevine Rootstocks. Microbial Ecology. 2023.
28. Cera, A.; Duplat, E.; Montserrat-Marti, G.; Gomez-Bolea, A.; Rodriguez-Echeverria, S.; Palacio, S. Seasonal variation in AMF colonisation, soil and plant nutrient content in gypsum specialist and generalist species growing in P-poor soils.Plant and soil. 2021, 468,1-2, 509-524.
29. Li, E.G.; Huang, Y.M.; Chen, H.Y.; Zhang, J.H. Floristic diversity analysis of the Ordos Plateau, a biodiversity hotspot in arid and semi-arid areas of China. Folia Geobotanica. 2019,53,4, 405-416.
30. Liu, Z.K.; Wang, C.W.; Yang, X.J.; Liu, G.F.; Cui, Q.G.; Indree, T.; Ye, X.H.; Huang, Z.Y. The Relationship and Influencing Factors between Endangered Plant Tetraena mongolica and Soil Microorganisms in West Ordos Desert Ecosystem, Northern China. Plant-Basel. 2023, 12, 5, 1048".

 

Line 594-595：We have revised the reference" 34. Suzuki, K.; Takahashi, K.; Harada, N. Evaluation of primer pairs for studying arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community compositions using a MiSeq platform. Biology and Fertility of Soils. 2020,56, 6, 853-858". 

 

Line 605-606：We have revised the reference" 39. Lu, XL. Effect of Intercropping Soybean on the Diversity of the Rhizosphere Soil Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Communities in Wheat Fields. Clean-Soil Air Water. 2022, 50, 6". 

 

Line 611-612：We have revised the reference" 42. Li, J.C.; Wang, Y.; Zhang, L.S.; Han, L.Y.; Hu, G.Y. Aeolian desertification in China's northeastern Tibetan Plateau: Understanding the present through the past. Catena. 2019, 172, 764-769". 

 

Line 668-673：Added “ 58. Tahiri, A.I.; Raklami, A.; Bechtaoui, N.; Anli, M.; Boutasknit, A.; Oufdou, K.; Meddich, A. Beneficial Effects of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria, Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Compost on Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) Growth Under Field Conditions. Gesunde Pflanzen. 2022,74,1, 219-235.

59. Gu, T.Y.; Mao, Y.Y.; Chen, C.; Wang, Y.; Lu, Q .; Wang, H.Q.; Cheng, W.Diversity of arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi in rhizosphere soil and roots in Vetiveria zizanioides plantation chronosequence in coal gangue heaps. Symbiosis. 2022,86,1, 111-122".

 

Line 676-678：We have revised the reference" 61. Garo, G .; Van Geel, M.; Eshetu, F.; Swennen, R.; Honnay, O.; Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community composition, richness and diversity on enset (Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman) in Ethiopia is influenced by manure application intensity in low-input farming systems. Plant and soil. 2020, 478, 1-2, 409-425". 

 

Line 691-693：We have revised the reference"67. Zhong, F.; Fan, X.L.; Ji, W.H.; Hai, Z.X.; Hu, N.C.; Li, X.T.; Liu, G.Y.; Yu, C.M.; Chen, Y.H.; Lian, B.L.; Wei, H.; Zhang, J. Soil Fungal Community Composition and Diversity of Culturable Endophytic Fungi from Plant Roots in the Reclaimed Area of the Eastern Coast of China. Journal of fungi. 2022, 8, 2,124". 

 

Line 708-710：We have revised the reference"73. Musyoka, D.M.; Njeru, E.M.; Mang'Erere, M.; Maingi, J.M. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and Bradyrhizobium co-inoculation enhances nitrogen fixation and growth of green grams (Vigna radiata L.) under water stress. Journal of Plant Nutrition. 2020, 43, 7, 1036-1047". 

 

 

Line 719-720：We have revised the reference" 77. Kim, K.; Neuberger, P.; Daly, E.J.; Gorzelak, M.; Hernandez-Ramirez, G. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community linkages to soil nutrient availability across contrasting agroecosystems. Applied soil ecology. 2022, 176, 104464". 

 

Line 739-740：Added " 81. Lin, C.Y.; Wang, Y.X.; Liu, M.H.; Li, Q.; Xiao, W.F.; Song, X.Z. Effects of nitrogen deposition and phosphorus addition on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata). Scientific Reports. 2022, 10,2, e02293-21".

 

 

Line 744-748：Added " 83. Wang, X.Y.; Liang, J.W.; Liu, Z.Y.; Kuang, Y.X.; Han, L.N.; Chen, H.; Xie, X.A.; Hu, W.T.; Tang, M. Transcriptional regulation of metal metabolism- and nutrient absorption-related genes in Eucalyptus grandis by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi at different zinc concentrations. BMC Plant Biology. 2022,22,2,76.

84. Rincon, C.; Droh, G.; Villard, L.; Masclaux, F.G.; N'guetta, A.; Zeze, A.; Sanders, I.R. Hierarchical spatial sampling reveals factors influencing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus diversity in Cote d'Ivoire cocoa plantations. Mycorrhiza.2021, 31,3, 289-300".

 

Line 749-751：We have revised the reference"85. Rincon, C.; Droh, G.; Villard, L.; Masclaux, F.G.; N'guetta, A.; Zeze, A.; Sanders, I.R. Hierarchical spatial sampling reveals factors influencing arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus diversity in Cote d'Ivoire cocoa plantations. Mycorrhiza. 2021, 31,3, 289-300". 

 

 

Thank you again for your comments. We hope we could learn more from you. Finally, we are very grateful to the reviewer’s and editor’s understanding and affirmation again. We wish the article can be published in Agronomy.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.docx

Round 2

Reviewer 3 Report

ok

it is ok . all comments are included in revised manuscript.