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Many invasive species of the southern and central Great Plains are grasses established to reduce soil erosion and increase hay and forage production on marginal or deteriorated grasslands. Recent studies have indicated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play an important role in plant invasions as invasive plant species may alter the density and/or composition of AMF communities, promoting the success of invasive species. With many of the problematic species in south Texas being functionally similar to native species, alteration of AMF communities may play a pivotal role in grassland invasions. To determine best restoration practices we must first know the reliance of the native and invasive grass species on AMF and if problematic species are self-facilitating. We conducted greenhouse studies to determine the reliance of four native species, one encroaching, and two invasive species on AMF by planting each species into soil collected from beneath itself that was steamed (eliminating mycorrhiza) or nonsterile (mycorrhizal). We used a "home" vs. "away" approach to evaluate potential feedbacks that may exist between native and problematic species. Our results indicate that plains bristlegrass and pink pappusgrass are obligate mycotrophs, while hooded windmillgrass was facultative, and Arizona cottontop did not respond to AMF symbiosis. The 3 problematic species showed mixed results: buffelgrass was not responsive to AMF while both Kleberg bluestem and tanglehead were obligate mycotrophs. Overall, the "home" vs. "away" studies indicated invasive species may be self-facilitating; native species grew larger in native "home" soil than soil collected from beneath problematic species while problematic species typically grew larger in their "home" soil. Our results also indicate that use of native soil inoculum may hold potential benefits for reestablishment of native grass species following removal of these problematic species.