Bacterial partnerships enhance the value of native legumes in rehabilitation of degraded agricultural lands

Abstract

A consequence of the generally low nutrient levels of Australian soils is that relationships between plants and their microbial symbionts (mycorrhizal fungi as weJl as nitrogen-fixing bacteria) have particular significanc:e for conservation management, sustainable agriculture, and eco~ystem rehabilitation. Shrubby legumes in the Fabaceae (e.g. Acacia, Oaviesia, Oil/wynia, Oxylobium, Hovea and Pultenaea) constitute a major group of plants that form nitrogen- fixing (N2-fixin@) partnerships with root-nodule bacteria (species of rhizobia). These taxa are found throughout Australia, and are frequently a dominant part of undisturbed ecosystems, both in terms of abundance as well as overall biomass.