SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES AFFECT DEVELOPMENT OF Cedrus atlantica M.

Soil microbial communities (SMC) play a key role in plant responses to environmental changes, particularly in cedar forest ecosystems, but the ecological and physiological effects of the microflora on cedrus atlantica are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the dependence of cedar on natural soil microflora. The results showed that the Taz soil, compared to the other soils, stimulates the dry weight (DW) and decreases the root density of seedlings. In contrast to this, the dry weight responses to the enrichment are negative on Taz soil, but root density and tertiary root numbers are significantly increased. In native soil, Pearson test shows that the dry weight of cedar needles and stem are positively related to total microflora but that of the main root and secondary roots (R2) are negatively linked to fungi. On the other hand, yeast and actinomycetes are negatively correlated with R2 abundance. The present study discusses for the first time the effect resulting from the interaction between native microflora of forest cedar soil on growth of C. atlantica seedlings.