The diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) communities in the forest litter and intensity of mycorrhizal colonization of dominating herb species were studied, in sites with two contrasting levels of contamination with copper smelter emissions. The fungal community structure was assessed using T-RFLP analysis. In the contaminated area, the diversity and abundance of herb layer was ten times lower than in the control area. The intensity of mycorrhizal colonization of host plants also decreased under contamination. However, the phylotypic richness of AMF in the forest litter only slightly decreased under contamination, and the evenness, composition and structure of AMF communities from the contaminated and control areas were similar. It was suggested that few plant species in the contaminated area may maintain high AMF diversity. However, 15–23 AMF phylotypes were registered, in bare sample plots in the contaminated area. It is very likely that phylotypes, found in the bare plots, as well as between-zone similarity of AMF communities resulted from «burials» of AMF spores in the litter’s thick layer in the contaminated area and represent a «footprint» of weakly disturbed stages of the herb vegetation.