TY - GEN A1 - Boldt-Burisch, Katja A1 - Naeth, M. Anne A1 - Schneider, Uwe A1 - Schneider, Beate A1 - Hüttl, Reinhard F. T1 - Plant growth and arbuscular mycorrhizae development in oil sands processing by-products T2 - Science of the Total Environment N2 - Soil pollutants such as hydrocarbons can induce toxic effects in plants and associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). This study was conducted to evaluate if the legume Lotus corniculatus and the grass Elymus trachycaulus and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi could growin two oil sands processing by-products after bitumen extraction fromthe oil sands in northern Alberta, Canada. Substrate treatmentswere coarse tailings sand (CTS), a mix of dry mature fine tailings (MFT) with CTS (1:1) and Pleistocene sandy soil (hydrocarbon free); microbial treatments were without AMF, with AMF and AMF plus soil bacteria isolated from oil sands reclamation sites. Plant biomass, root morphology, leaf water content, shoot tissue phosphorus content and mycorrhizal colonization were evaluated. Both plant species had reduced growth in CTS and tailings mix relative to sandy soil. AMF frequency and intensity in roots of E. trachycaulus was not influenced by soil hydrocarbons; however, it decreased significantly over time in roots of L. corniculatus without bacteria in CTS. Mycorrhizal inoculation alone did not significantly improve plant growth in CTS and tailings mix; however, inoculation with mycorrhizae plus bacteria led to a significantly positive response of both plant species in CTS. Thus, combined inoculationwith selected mycorrhizae and bacteria led to synergistic effects. Such combinations may be used in future to improve plant growth in reclamation of CTS and tailings mix. Y1 - 2017 UR - https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-UBICO/frontdoor/index/index/docId/20616 SN - 1879-1026 SN - 0048-9697 VL - 621 SP - 30 EP - 39 ER -