Ectomycorrhizal Species Research Articles

The influence of forest surroundings on the soil fungal community of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) plantations

Black truffles are a highly valued non-wood forest product. The success of truffle plantations is raising the interest to establish orchards within forest settings. One main concern is that the forest may act as a source of ectomycorrhizal fungi that could displace Tuber melanosporum in plantations and impair truffle production. We studied the effects of host tree distance to the surrounding forest on T. melanosporum development and on the root-associated fungal community. Our research was carried out in a 5-year old holm oak (Quercus ilex) plantation established in an abandoned pasture surrounded by a Q. ilex forest in the Pyrenees. The spatial distribution of different fungal guilds as well as of T. melanosporum mycelium quantity and mating types frequency was correlated with the distance to the forest and the diameter of the trees. We found a higher relative abundance of non-T. melanosporum EcM fungi associated with the trees closer to the forest. Larger root collar diameter trees had greater biomass of T. melanosporum mycelium and whose fungal community was less affected by the distance to the forest. No association between the biomass of T. melanosporum mycelium in the soil and the distance to the forest or the abundance of non-T. melanosporum EcM fungi were observed. Our results indicate that T. melanosporum inoculated oaks planted in areas surrounded by forests may be colonised by other ectomycorrhizal species, and develop a distinct microbial community from those usually established in agricultural lands. Further investigations should be carried out to determine whether a different fungal community may affect truffle production in the future, but to date, truffle mycelium does not seem to be impaired.

The influence of forest surroundings on the soil fungal community of black truffle (Tuber melanosporum) plantations

Black truffles are a highly valued non-wood forest product. The success of truffle plantations is arousing the interest to establish orchards within forest settings. One main concern is that the forest may act as a source of ectomycorrhizal fungi that could displace Tuber melanosporum in plantations and impair truffle production. We studied the effects of host tree distance to the surrounding forest on T. melanosporum development and on the root-associated fungal community. Our research was carried out in a 5-year old holm oak (Quercus ilex) plantation established in an abandoned pasture surrounded by a Q. ilex forest in the Pyrenees. The spatial distribution of different fungal guilds as well as of T. melanosporum mycelium quantity and mating types frequency was correlated with the distance to the forest and the diameter of the trees. We found a higher relative abundance of non-T. melanosporum EcM fungi associated with the trees closer to the forest. Larger root collar diameter trees had greater biomass of T. melanosporum mycelium and displayed fungal community compositions less affected by the distance to the forest. No associations between the biomass of T. melanosporum mycelium in the soil and the distance to the forest or the abundance of non-T. melanosporum EcM fungi were observed. Our results indicate that T. melanosporum inoculated oaks planted in areas surrounded by forests may be colonised by other ectomycorrhizal species, and develop a distinct microbial community from those usually established in agricultural lands. Further investigations should be carried out to determine whether a different fungal community may affect truffle production in the future, but to date, truffle mycelium does not seem to be impaired.

Extracellular Soil Enzyme Activities in High-Elevation Mixed Red Spruce Forests in Central Appalachia, U.S.A.

Anthropogenic emissions have impacted terrestrial forest ecosystem processes in North America since the industrial revolution. With the passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970 in the United States, atmospheric inputs of nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) into forests in the Appalachian Mountains have declined, which have, potentially, mitigated their effects on processes such as decomposition and nutrient cycling. Activities of microbial extracellular soil enzymes (ESEs) mediate many rate-limiting nutrient transformations in forest soils and play important roles in the decomposition of complex organic compounds. Soils in high-elevation red spruce forests are characterized by low pH and high carbon (C):N ratios and, having historically received extremely high levels of N deposition, may exhibit legacy impacts of deposition on nutrient availability and decomposition. We utilized four sites along a modeled gradient of N deposition in central Appalachia to assess contemporary ESEs in bulk soil under Acer rubrum L., Betula alleghaniensis Britt., and Picea rubens Sarg. in May, June, and July 2016. Increasing N deposition led to increases in organic fraction C and N and decreases in phosphorus (P). Sites receiving higher N also exhibited greater mineral fraction C, N, and P. ESEs were highest in organic fractions with acid phosphatases (AP) exhibiting the highest activity. There was little influence of N deposition on organic fraction ESEs, but strong evidence for a positive relationship between N deposition and activities of AP, β-glucosidases (BG), and chitinase (NAG) in mineral fractions. Species effects on ESEs were present with high AP in organic fractions under spruce and high mineral fraction fungal laccase (LAC) under birch. The sampling season demonstrated little effect on ESEs. ESEs were more strongly influenced by plot-level factors, such as tree species diversity and abundance of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species, than temporal or soil factors or nutrient status related to modeled cumulative N deposition across these sites. Decreases in AP, BG, and NAG activities with greater abundance of broadleaf deciduous species and increases in activities with ECM host abundance indicate that microbial communities driven by these plant functional groups are responsible for the differences in ESEs observed in these high-elevation mixed red spruce stands.

Forest disturbances affect functional groups of macrofungi in young successional forests – harvests and fire lead to different fungal assemblages

Fungal assemblages after a large-scale disturbance can be diverse and have functionally important roles in forests. However, fungi include several functional groups, and the responses of these groups to different forest disturbances is poorly understood. For example, ectomycorrhizal fungi may facilitate the establishment of a new tree cohort while saprotrophic fungi are able to decompose most of the dead organic material that result from the disturbance event. In this study, we examined how functionally different macrofungi respond to two major disturbances: fire (prescribed burning) and different intensities of timber harvest.We used large-scale field experiment where (1) fire and (2) harvest intensity were manipulated simultaneously in a factorial, replicated design. Three levels of harvests and an unharvested control were included, and sites were either burned or not. Fungi were surveyed before treatments in year 2000 and annually over three years (2001–2003) after the treatments. Fungi species were divided into ectomycorrhizal (ECM), saprophyte (SaM) and wood-associated fungi (WAM). The latter group mostly included Aphylloporoid wood-associated species (AWAM) and agarics. We observed also two biotrophic and one parasitic fungus but these were excluded from the assemblage-level analyses due to their rarity. Both number of sporocarps (fruiting bodies) and their biomass were measured.Fungal groups were affected by harvest and fire but the various fungal groups responded in different ways to the treatments. The ECM species were sensitive to timber harvests and disappeared from all the harvested sites. Fire in the unharvested sites did not negatively affect the ECM fungi. The SaM fungi responded quickly after disturbance, and their assemblage composition changed after fire and harvest. Species richness was reduced but fire promoted several pyrophilous SaM species, leading to major compositional changes in SaM species and the formation of distinct assemblages. The WAM species declined after harvests but fire tended to counteract the negative effects of timber harvesting.The results show that fungal groups respond in different ways to major disturbances in boreal forests. Early successional post-disturbance forests contribute to the maintenance of forest biodiversity, especially the specialist SaM species. However, the type of disturbance (fire or harvest) affect fungi in different ways. Understanding the assemblage dynamics of decomposer and other fungi is crucial when estimating how changes in forest disturbance regimes may affect nutrient and carbon cycling, as well as the maintenance of forest biodiversity.

Effects of mineral substrate on ectomycorrhizal fungal colonization and bacterial community structure

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi can promote the nutrient uptake of plants from soil minerals by bioweathering. However, effects of different minerals on ECM fungal colonization and bacterial community structures in the soil remains poorly documented. Here, we investigated ECM fungal composition and bacterial communities in different mineral-filled mesh bags buried in forest soil. Control (filled with quartz, which has little nutrients for plants) and mineral (apatite, potash feldspar and serpentine) -filled mesh bags were buried in E-horizon soil for six months. After incubation, the contents of available elements in bags were determined, bacterial population sizes were quantified by quantitative PCR, and bacterial and ECM fungal community structures in mesh bags were assessed using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed that dozens of ECM fungal species colonized in different mesh bags, of which 17, 54 and 47 ECM species were observed in apatite-, potash feldspar- and serpentine-filled bags, respectively. Ectomycorrhizal fungal composition and bacterial community structure are affected significantly by mineral types. Pseudomonas, Sphingomonas, Bacillus and Paenibacillus, known for high weathering potential, were the preponderant bacteria in mineral-filled bags compared to the control. Ectomycorrhizal fungi are able to selectively colonize mesh bags based on mineral types, and may have a certain influence on the formation of bacterial community structure, implying a possible cooperation of ECM fungi and bacteria in soil mineral weathering.

Effects of biochar and litter on water relations of Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) seedlings

ABSTRACTBiochar is gaining increasing attention in the fields of forest rehabilitation, agriculture, etc. For evaluating biochar application to improve the rhizosphere environment of Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) at harsh coastal environments, a pot experiment was carried out with a focus on ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis and water relations of seedlings. Another characteristic recently observed at coastal forests is the invasion of the locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), which can potentially increase soil nitrogen. In this study, four treatments were examined (biochar addition, litter addition, biochar and litter addition, and no addition [control]) to determine the effects of biochar and/or nitrogen-rich locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) litter application. Although effects of biochar and litter addition were not observed on ECM symbiosis rate and species composition, treatments with biochar addition, maintained xylem water potential (XWP) of needles for up to 2 weeks without irrigation, independent of litter addition. As biochar increased relative fine root biomass (fine root biomass/total root biomass), it can be considered that biochar was able to maintain needle XWP through increasing the relative amount of fine roots that can obtain water. Overall, these findings suggest that biochar application can help to maintain water relations of Japanese black pine by enhancing fine root growth.

Share the wealth: Trees with greater ectomycorrhizal species overlap share more carbon.

The mutualistic symbiosis between forest trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) is among the most ubiquitous and successful interactions in terrestrial ecosystems. Specific species of EMF are known to colonize specific tree species, benefitting from their carbon source, and in turn, improving their access to soil water and nutrients. EMF also form extensive mycelial networks that can link multiple root-tips of different trees. Yet the number of tree species connected by such mycelial networks, and the traffic of material across them, are just now under study. Recently we reported substantial belowground carbon transfer between Picea, Pinus, Larix and Fagus trees in a mature forest. Here, we analyze the EMF community of these same individual trees and identify the most likely taxa responsible for the observed carbon transfer. Among the nearly 1,200 EMF root-tips examined, 50%-70% belong to operational taxonomic units (OTUs) that were associated with three or four tree host species, and 90% of all OTUs were associated with at least two tree species. Sporocarp 13 C signals indicated that carbon originating from labelled Picea trees was transferred among trees through EMF networks. Interestingly, phylogenetically more closely related tree species exhibited more similar EMF communities and exchanged more carbon. Our results show that belowground carbon transfer is well orchestrated by the evolution of EMFs and tree symbiosis.

Edible ectomycorrhizal fungi and Cistaceae. A study on compatibility and fungal ecological strategies.

Wild edible mycorrhizal mushrooms are among the most appreciated and prized mushrooms in the world. Despite the cultivation of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushrooms has been a growing subject of study worldwide, it has been hampered by the mutualistic lifestyle of the fungi. Although not being obligate symbionts, most of the species of ECM mushrooms only produce fruit bodies in association with trees or shrubs. In the present study, we aimed at understanding certain aspects of the ecology of four different edible ECM fungi: Lactarius deliciosus, Tricholoma equestre, T. portentosum and Boletus fragrans. Despite having a broad distribution worldwide, these fungi inhabit also Mediterranean habitats with understories typically dominated by rockroses (Cistaceae). Studying the ecology of these mutualistic fungi as well as the interaction with these species of shrubs is not only scientifically relevant but also pivotal for the discovery of profitable cultivation protocols. We evaluated the compatibility of these ECM species with five species within Cistaceae family - Cistus ladanifer, C. psilosepalus, C. salviifolius, Halimium halimifolium and Tuberaria lignosa. Each species of fungi proved to be able to establish mycorrhizas with at least 2 different plants species but varied in their host range of the tested Cistaceae. The dissimilarity in terms of host specificity between some fungal species seemed to be connected with the phylogenetic distances of the fungi. A correlation between the colonization percentage of the root systems and the mycelial growth rates in pure culture was found. The connection of these traits might be an important key to understanding the ecological competitor-colonizer tradeoffs of these ECM fungal species. Altogether, our study reports unknown plant-fungi combinations with economical relevance and also adds new insights about the ecology of these species of ECM fungi.

Relationship Between Belowground Carbon Allocation and Nitrogen Uptake in Saplings Varies by Plant Mycorrhizal Type

While it has long been hypothesized that belowground carbon (C) allocation in plants is tightly coupled to nutrient uptake, empirical tests of this are rare, especially for woody plants. We grew tree saplings of nine species in soils enriched in isotopically-labeled nitrogen (N) and after several months, pulse-labeled trees with 13CO2. This approach allowed us to track how 13C allocation from foliage to absorptive root tissue related to 15N movement from soil to plant tissues as a measure of each species’ N return on C investment. We hypothesized that tree species known to associate with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi would have greater belowground C fluxes than those that associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi, and that species with greater belowground C allocation would acquire the most soil N. Overall, we found large interspecific differences in both the amount of recently-fixed C allocated belowground and plant N uptake, yet no differences in either flux between AM and ECM trees (P > 0.05). Moreover, we found no differences between mycorrhizal groups in terms of their N return on C investment. However, mycorrhizal type influenced the relationship between belowground C allocation and N uptake, which was positive in AM species (r = 0.42; P =0.001) and negative in ECM species (r = -0.44; P =0.003), suggesting that the relationship between C allocation and plant nutrition is more complex than theory predicts. Collectively, our results suggest that tree species’ nutrient return on C investment can differ greatly among species, and that efforts to model these dynamics should consider the traits and tradeoffs that underlie these dynamics.

Aboveground Competition and Herbivory Overpower Plant-Soil Feedback Contributions to Succession in a Remediated Grassland

Plant-soil feedback (PSF) can provide a driving force during ecological succession by altering soil properties in ways that benefit or disadvantage other species in the successional sequence. Succession may be inevitable in disturbed sites remediated by planting early successional species, but information on PSF in such settings is lacking. We investigated whether gray birch (Betula populifolia), a native pioneer tree, alters succession from grassland to deciduous forest at a site contaminated with zinc, lead, and cadmium. We investigated PSF within the context of competition, herbivory, and soil contaminants, and evaluated whether gray birch, as a metal accumulator, engages in elemental allelopathy, poisoning other species through its metal-contaminated leaf litter. We assessed effects of gray birch on neighboring plant community structure, soil chemistry, fungal root symbionts, and germination, growth, and herbivory of seedlings of black oak (Quercus velutina) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum), two tree species expected to follow gray birch in succession. Gray birch was associated with increased diversity in its neighborhood grassland community, increased herbivory on black oak seedlings, and influenced root fungal colonization in both species. Seedling biomass was correlated with colonization by ectomycorrhizal fungi in black oak, but not with arbuscular mycorrhizal or dark septate fungal colonization in sugar maple. Gray birch had no effect on maple seedling performance or soil chemistry, and a small effect on oak performance in the absence of aboveground competition. We found little evidence consistent with elemental allelopathy. Oak and maple seedlings responded more strongly to variation in soil nutrients than heavy metals, and maintained leaf metal concentration profiles markedly different from those in soils. We conclude that gray birch alters its environment in ways that could promote establishment and succession of woody species, potentially favoring ectomycorrhizal species, but most effects of PSF are overpowered by aboveground competition, herbivory, and/or existing soil factors. This study well illustrates why potential PSF effects on plant performance and community structure must be examined within the context of other ecological processes. Such a broad understanding can inform decisions made in remediation and management of disturbed sites, and our understanding of plant succession and coexistence in general.

Symbiotic interactions above treeline of long‐lived pines: Mycorrhizal advantage of limber pine (Pinus flexilis) over Great Basin bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at the seedling stage

Abstract In response to contemporary changes in climate, many tree species are shifting upslope to find favorable habitat. In the case of obligate ectomycorrhizal species, seedling growth above upper treeline depends on fungal spore availability. In the mountain ranges of the Great Basin, a recent shift in tree species stratification has been recorded, with limber pine (LP, Pinus flexilis) leapfrogging above the ancient bristlecone pine (BCP, Pinus longaeva) forest and establishing above current treeline. We compared the ability of LP and BCP to interact with soil spore banks collected at different microhabitats (next to dead trees, young live trees or in a treeless control) above current treeline in the White Mountains of California. We found an ectomycorrhizal fungal spore bank community composed of 15 species that was dominated by an undescribed and a hitherto unsequenced species of Geopora and Rhizopogon, respectively. This represents a much richer community than was found previously in this system. While both LP and BCP were able to establish ectomycorrhiza, LP was twice as likely to do so, and when comparing only seedlings that were colonized, its root system was colonized to a three‐fold greater extent. BCP seedlings grown on soils collected under young live trees were much more likely to be colonized compared to soils from the other two microhabitats. Synthesis. These differences in ectomycorrhizal receptivity might help to explain why LP is currently establishing at higher rates above the BCP treeline. Furthermore, it is possible that LP saplings above treeline can provide ectomycorrhizal facilitation for BCP seedlings, enabling the subsequent shift of BCP above treeline.

Basidiome production of ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic agaricoid fungi respond differently to forest management

Forest management generates border effects in mature dense forests. How agaricoid fungi species react to this disturbance depends on climatic and site conditions, as well as forest management system used and its intensity. We compared abundance and richness of ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic species in managed and unmanaged stands in Nothofagus pumilio (Poepp. & Endl.) Krasser forests of Patagonia, Argentina. We found that basidiome abundance and richness of ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic species were favoured by different forest structure and climatic factors. Ectomycorrhizal species basidiome production was significantly correlated to mean relative humidity of the 15 days prior to sampling and tree density (number of trees per hectare) existing prior to management activities. The latter implies that the tree density an ecosystem is capable of sustaining is crucial to the establishment of ectomycorrhizal species. Saprophytic species were favoured by the increased amount of woody material generated by logging together with maximum temperature in the 15 days prior to sampling and mean annual precipitation. Our results indicate that agaricoid fungi are not affected by low- to medium-intensity forest management, establishing the forestry level that fungal community can tolerate without loss of species in Patagonia.

Fine root respiration is more strongly correlated with root traits than tree species identity

AbstractCarbon allocated to roots accounts for a large portion of net primary productivity, but the fate of that carbon is poorly understood. Absorptive fine roots are the primary way in which plants acquire nutrients. Previous studies have evaluated relationships among root morphological traits, including specific root length, root tissue density, and mycorrhizal colonization, across broad functional and taxonomic groups to test for the existence of a root economics spectrum (RES). Fine roots also release carbon dioxide through respiration, and other studies have found relationships between root morphological traits and root respiration within individual tree species. The objective of this study was to measure a suite of root traits in six co‐occurring temperate tree species that represent a diverse set of aboveground traits to determine whether and how root characteristics influenced root respiration both within and among species. At the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts, USA, we measured fine root respiration, root morphology, percent colonization for ectomycorrhizal species, and carbon and nitrogen concentrations on 292 roots from six tree species in June and July 2018. We found that most fine root morphological characteristics varied nearly as much within each tree species as they did among the six species. Root traits were dynamic over time during the two months of our study, where the magnitude of weekly mean trait values varied 32–95% across the study period. Strong correlations among traits suggested trade‐offs on a spectrum from resource acquisition (long, thin, high‐nitrogen roots) to resource conservation (thick, dense, low‐nitrogen roots), and traits were not clustered by tree species within this spectrum. Along with temperature and weekly temporal variation, the resource acquisition strategy (long and thin roots that were high in nitrogen) was associated with higher root respiration, and this relationship was consistent among the six species. This study supported a strong link between the RES and respiration independent of species identity, which provides insight into functional axes for scaling root respiration from individual trees to the forest stand to better quantify belowground carbon flux.

Amanita xenokommosis (Agaricales, Basidiomycota), a striking new species from sand dune forest of northeastern Brazil, with a key for phenetically similar species

Amanita is a well established genus corresponding one to the major groups of Agaricales having with a rich systematic story. Several species belonging to this genus were recently reported from Brazil. Recent studies changed drastically its infrageneric classification, recognizing the subgenera Amanita, Amanitina and Lepidella. Within the subg. Amanitina, the ectomycorrhizal species with amyloid basidiospores, appendiculate pileus and stipe base with more globose to subglobose bulb belong to sect. Roanokenses. Amanita xenokommosis belongs to this section and is described here a new species from the Brazilian Coastal Sand Dune. It is characterized by elongate to cylindrical amyloid basidiospores, brown pileus with sharp floccose appendiculate remnants and bulb covered by a large limbate/saccate universal veil. Amanita caojizong, A. manginiana, A. modesta, A. pseudomanginiana and A. pseudoporphyria are similar species, but differ in many aspects, such as basidiospores size, shape of bulb and characteristics of the universal veil.

Rhizopogon olivaceotinctus increases its inoculum potential in heated soil independent of competitive release from other ectomycorrhizal fungi

ABSTRACTRhizopogon olivaceotinctus is a rarely collected ectomycorrhizal fungus that has been found primarily in California and southern Oregon. Prior work has shown that it (i) is common in soil spore banks associated with pine forests from these areas; (ii) is rare or absent on trees in undisturbed forests in these same areas; (iii) exhibits an increased abundance on pine seedlings following fire or experimental soil heating; and (iv) has spores that are more resistant to heat than those of several other ectomycorrhizal species tested to date. Here, we reject the hypothesis that the increased abundance of the species following soil heating is caused only by reduced competition with other ectomycorrnizal fungi and show instead that heating alone significantly increases the inoculum potential of its spores. We argue that this is likely caused by heat stimulation of the spores, a process that has precedent in saprotrophic fungi and plant seeds. This result, in combination with those of previous studies, shows that Rhizopogon olivaceotinctus is well adapted to fire.

Rescuing the ectomycorrhizal biodiversity associated with South American Nothofagaceae forest, from the 19th century naturalists up to molecular biogeography

AbstractThe southernmost portion of the Andes in South America hosts Nothofagaceae forests that form ectomycorrhizal (EcM) associations. We compiled all the published reports of EcM taxa from these woodlands, based on fruit-body collections and molecularly identified root tips. This resulted in 87 peer-reviewed research papers dealing with EcM associations from Nothofagaceae forests published over the past 62 years. Based on these papers the EcM richness and its association with Nothofagaceae species was analyzed. Represented by 45 genera (34 Basidiomycetes and 11 Ascomycetes), 479 EcM taxa have been recorded, plus an additional 46 EcM taxa which are potentially EcM. Cortinarius was the most frequent and diverse genus, with 64.9% of total species. Nothofagus dombeyi had the highest number of unique EcM species, followed by N. pumilio, N. antarctica and Lophozonia obliqua. The EcM community associated with Nothofagus species, except N. nitida, showed higher similarities among themselves, than with Lophozonia and Fuscospora species. Beta diversity indexes showed EcM Nothofagus species have 29–42% niche overlap, while Nothofagus—Lophozonia only had 1–16%. The assessment of the accuracy of the EcM diversity, host specificity and community structure deserve further studies combining phylogenetic analysis based on broad ecological surveys. On the basis of pre-selected criteria Austropaxillus statuum, Cortinarius fragilis, Cortinarius xiphidipus and Hallingea purpurea are proposed as candidates for nursery spore inoculations, and should be subject to scientific evaluation to determine costs and benefits.

Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of secondary tropical forests dominated by Tristaniopsis in Bangka Island, Indonesia.

In Southeast Asia, primary tropical rainforests are usually dominated by ectomycorrhizal (ECM) trees belonging to Dipterocarpaceae, although arbuscular mycorrhizal trees often outcompete them after disturbances such as forest fires and clear-cutting, thus preventing dipterocarp regeneration. In some secondary tropical forests, however, potentially ECM trees belonging to Tristaniopsis (Myrtaceae) become dominant and may help ECM dipterocarp forests to recover. However, we have no information about their mycorrhizal status in these settings. In this study, we analyzed ECM fungal communities in tropical secondary forests dominated by Tristaniopsis and investigated which ECM fungal species are shared with other tropical or temperate areas. In total, 100 samples were collected from four secondary forests dominated by Tristaniopsis on Bangka Island. ECM tips in the soil samples were subjected to molecular analyses to identify both ECM and host species. Based on a >97% ITS sequence similarity threshold, we identified 56 ECM fungal species dominated by Thelephoraceae, Russulaceae, and Clavulinaceae. Some of the ECM fungal species were shared between dominant Tristaniopsis and coexisting Eucalyptus or Quercus trees, including 5 common to ECM fungi recorded in a primary mixed dipterocarp forest at Lambir Hill, Malaysia. In contrast, no ECM fungal species were shared with other geographical regions, even with Tristaniopsis in New Caledonia. These results imply that secondary tropical forests dominated by Tristaniopsis harbor diverse ECM fungi, including those that inhabit primary dipterocarp forests in the same geographical region. They may function as refugia for ECM fungi, given that dipterocarp forests are disappearing quickly due to human activity.

Ectomycorrhizal Community on Norway Spruce Seedlings Following Bark Beetle Infestation

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi importantly influence seedling growth, nutrition, and survival and create an extensive mycelial network interconnecting tree species and enabling resource redistribution. Due to their symbiotic relationship with trees, they are impacted by forest disturbances, which are of increasing relevance due to climate change. The effect of disturbance on seedling colonization and their morphology is still largely unknown. Seedling growth parameters and the ECM fungal assemblage on the roots of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.) seedlings were assessed in mature spruce forests attacked and destroyed by bark beetle and in a mature non-attacked forest as a reference. We did not detect significant differences in number of ECM species on seedling roots among forest types, but ECM species composition changed; Tylospora fibrillosa (Burt) Donk, Meliniomyces variabilis Hambl. & Sigler, and Phialocephala fortinii C.J.K. Wang & H.E. Wilcox were characteristic species in the forest destroyed by bark beetle, whereas Lactarius, Cortinarius, and Russula were in the mature forest. Forest type further significantly influenced the height, root length, and root collar thickness of seedlings and the proportion of exploration types of mycorrhizae.

Phylogeny, ecology and distribution of the rare Mediterranean species Lactarius pseudoscrobiculatus (Basidiomycota, Russulales)

Lactarius pseudoscrobiculatus is a rare Mediterranean species defined on the basis of morphological characters, and reported from coastal areas of south France, northeast Spain and northwest Italy growing in association with maritime pines (Pinus pinaster and P. halepensis). Prior to the present study, no data existed about its phylogenetic position and the relationships to other taxa of the genus. In the frame of this work, the morphoanatomical features of two pertinent collections from Ikaria Island (East Aegean, Greece) and the area of Lucca (Tuscany, Italy) were studied in detail and compared to the original description. The respective material as well as the type specimen were also subjected to ITS rDNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that all examined specimens nested within a well-supported clade corresponding to L. pseudoscrobiculatus which is positioned among other species of Lactarius subsect. Scrobiculati. In addition, L. pseudoscrobiculatus formed a sister group with L. citriolens, evidencing their relative affinity. The confirmed presence of L. pseudoscrobiculatus in the East Mediterranean in association with P. brutia and Cistus spp. expands existing knowledge on the geographic distribution and ecology of this ectomycorrhizal species.

Evidence of pyrite dissolution by Telephora terrestris Ehrh in the Libiola mine (Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy)

Evidence of pyrite dissolution by Telephora terrestris Ehrh were observed for the first time in the abandoned sulphide Libiola mine in May 2017 (Sestri Levante, Liguria, Italy). This fungus is an ectomycorrhizal species able to colonize this extreme environment and bioaccumulate metals such as copper and silver in its fruiting bodies, and it is known to establish symbiosis with maritime pines present in the area, thus favouring their recolonization of the site. This paper presents evidence of T. terrestris promoted dissolution of sulphide minerals. This species can remove from soil not only metals possibly toxic to the pine trees, but it can also contribute to the ions bioaccumulation through the bioweathering of sulphide mineral grains (especially pyrite).