Overall, the outcome from fungal colonization varied widely amongst the ECM fungal isolates tested.
Seedlings mycorrhized by S.bovinus were the least affected by Cd contamination.
Metal uptake restriction by this symbiont was not conclusive however S.bovinus induced plant growth at all Cd concentrations tested, as compared to non-inoculated counterparts.
R.roseolus did not induce plant growt at any of the Cd concentrations in the soil, however, successfully decreased total metal uptake by the plant at the highest Cd dosage.
Based on the results obtained, S.bovinus would be an adequate choice for reforestation of Cd contaminated areas given its input in plant growth in the studied adverse conditions.
Moreover, all the fungal treatments here reported led to translocation factors lower than 1 (calculated as the ratio between the mass of metal in the aerial and in the root section of the plant), ranging from 0.18 to 0.27,indicating that translocation of the metal to the aerial part of the plant would be restricted, avoiding transport of the metal into the food chain.