Effect of gut passage by two highland rodents on spore activity and mycorrhiza formation of two species of ectomycorrhizal fungi (Laccaria trichodermophora and Suillus tomentosus)

Abstract

Research on mycophagy has focused mainly on fungi with hypogeous fruiting bodies, while studies on epigeous fruiting bodies are rare. We evaluated spore activity and capacity to establish mycorrhizal associations for the ectomycorrhizal fungi Laccaria trichodermophora Mueller and Suillus tomentosus (Kauffman) Singer, Snell and Dick (both of which produce epigeous fruiting bodies) after being consumed by the mice Peromyscus alstoni Merrian and Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner. Passage through the digestive tract of both rodent species reduced spore activity of S. tomentosus but increased spore activity of L. trichodermophora. In contrast, passage through the digestive tract of P. alstoni increased the percentage of mycorrhiza formation by S. tomentosus, whereas mycorrhiza formation by L. trichodermophora decreased following gut passage in either species of mice. These results show that the studied rodent species have differential effects on mycorrhiza formation by two species of fungi with epigeous fruiting bodies and may play a significant role in maintaining mycorrhizal communities and healthy forest ecosystems in central Mexico.