Investigations on the bacterial communities associated to ectomycorrhized roots of seedlings from three stands with different degrees of regeneration decline (high, intermediate and low) and from seedlings grown on monoliths obtained from the very same stands have been carried out. The results suggest that forest decline does not influence bacterial biomass associated to seedlings roots but induce a clustering of specific bacterial species adapted to the different degree of forest decline

Fine root distribution was estimated in three spruce stands with different stages of forest decline. At all 3 sites in the 0-5 cm layer the density of living fine root mass exceeds the necromass. However, in the deeper soil layer necromass exceeds biomass by a factor of 2-4 at Modry Dul, ca. 3 at Alzbetinka and by more than 8 at Mumlavska Hora. The distribution of root density was reflected in the distribution of root length and the number of root tips in each soil layer for the 3 sites

The phenolic compounds showed different responses to fertilization. Fine roots of beech showed a significant decrease of (-) epicateching (84-99%) and pecatannol (78-98%) with nitrogen fertilization. Fine roots of fertilized Norway spruce showed decreased concentrations of 4-hydroxyacetophenone (33-48%), p-coumaric acid (44-64%), and pecatannol (36-61%). Concentration of p-hydroxybenzoic acid and protocatechuic acid were significantly higher in no fertilized roots. However in both tree species fertilization had no effect on vanillin and quercetin concentration in fine roots. It is suggested that roots of beech and Norway spruce are more susceptible to attacks of pathogens when they are exposed to impact of nitrogen

Phytostabilisation can benefit from phytostimulatory rhizobacteria. Forty-three bacterial strains were isolated from the roots of the metallicolous legume Anthyllis vulneraria ssp. carpatica grown in a highly contaminated mine tailing (total Cd, Pb and Zn were up to 1200; 34,000; and 170,000 mg kg(-1), respectively). We aimed at evaluating their phytostimulatory effects on the development of leguminous metallophytes. Strains were screened for fluorescent siderophores and auxin synthesis, inorganic P solubilisation and 1-amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylate deaminase (ACCd) activity to define a subset of 11 strains that were inoculated on the leguminous metallophytes A. vulneraria and Lotus corniculatus grown in diluted mine spoil (Zn 34,653; Pb 6842; and Cd 242, all in mg kg-1). All strains were affiliated to Pseudomonas spp. (except two), synthetised auxins and siderophores and solubilised P (except three), and seven of them were ACCd positive. The inoculation effects (shoot-root-nodule biomass, chlorophyll content) depended on legume species and bacterial strain genotype. Phytostimulation scores were unrelated to siderophore/auxin synthesis and P solubilisation rates. Inoculations of the strain nos. 17-43 triggered a 1.2-fold significant increase in the chlorophyll content of A. vulneraria. Chlorophyll content and root biomass of L. corniculatus were significantly increased following the inoculations of the strain nos. 17-22 (1.5-1.4-fold, respectively). The strongest positive effects were related to increases in the nodule biomass of L. corniculatus in the presence of three ACCd-positive strains (1.8-fold), one of which was the highest auxin producer. These data suggest to focus on interactions between ACCd activity and auxin synthesis to enhance nodulation of metallicolous legumes.