Isolation, Identification and Selection of Arbuscular and Ericoid Mycorrhizal Fungi for Reclamation of Oil Sands Tailings

This project aimed to isolate and identify arbuscular and ericoid mycorrhizal fungi from boreal forest plants (with a focus on blueberry and aspen). The goal was to select fungi that can enhance plant growth and restoration on oil sand sites, potentially improving soil salvage and revegetation practices. Specific objectives included (1) Isolate and propagate native mycorrhizal fungi, (2) Describe and identify the isolated fungi, (3) study the effect of salts on the growth of the fungi under different conditions, (4) Study the effect of different salt levels on the fungi once it is inoculated onto container-grown host plants, and (5) test the ability of the fungi to support plant growth in the nursery.

The different strains of fungi differed in their ability to tolerate salt, petroleum, crude oil, and alkalinity. Some strains that were tolerant of certain conditions were sensitive to others. Some strains were resistant to conditions but at the expense of growth rate. For example, P. fortinii appeared the best fungus (for biomass production) to use under salt stress, but the growth pattern was smaller than O. maius.