Abstract: Continuous cropping for many years can lead to reductions in crop yields and agricultural product quality, which severely restricts the sustainable development of agriculture. This is a leading issue in agricultural cultivation in China. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) fungi can improve the continuous cropping soil environment, enhance the capacity of plant uptake of nutrients and water, and improve plant resistance to soilborne diseases as a result of continuous cropping. Recently, scientists working in ecology and agricultural production have explored the effect of AM fungi in alleviating the challenges posed by continuous cropping. In this review, we summarize the results of a wide range of research into AM fungi, including improving the continuous cropping soil environment, promoting the uptake of hostplants of nutrients and water, improving the salt tolerance of host plants and their competitiveness against pathogenic bacteria, and disease resistance to antagonistic bacteria. Furthermore, the role of AM fungi in the induction of protective enzyme expression and the effects on secondary metabolite generation, amongst other effects, are also discussed in this context. Overall, we aim to provide a theoretical basis for the future development of technology that utilizes AM fungi in solving continuous cropping obstacles.

Key words: soil microbial biomass, seasonal dynamic, spatial pattern, precipitation change, Korean pine broadleaved forest.