Mycorrhizae and their potential use in the agricultural and forestry industries

Mycorrhizal fungi associated with plant roots increase the absorption of nutrients, particularly phosphorus, and thus enhance the growth of crop plants and trees. Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) occur in approximately 90% of all vascular plants including most of the important agricultural species, whereas ectomycorrhizae are found in most of the economically important tree species of the temperate regions of the world, and in some tropical trees. These symbiotic associations are, therefore, important in crop and biomass production. For this reason they are receiving considerable attention in agriculture and forestry. Currently, VAM are utilized in fumigated soils, greenhouse crops, and in the reclamation of disturbed sites. Ectomycorrhizae are employed in the establishment of trees in nurseries, in reforestation programs, and in the production of containerized seedlings. Production of VAM and ectomycorrhiza inoculum for large scale projects is now feasible but many basic questions related to persistence of these fungi in field situations, competition with other microorganisms, and particularly the most efficient fungi to use for particular hosts remain largely unanswered.     

Effect of nitrogen level on acid phosphatase activity of eight isolates of ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus cultured in vitro

The higher levels of nitrogen in ammonium form stimulated the growth of mycelia and increased the accessible as well as the total acid phosphatase activity of Paxillus involutus (Batsch) Fr. isolates grown in pure culture. Rates of mycelia growth and acid phosphatase activities varied widely from one isolate to another. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings were inoculated with different P. involutus isolates in axenic conditions. Shoots of pine seedlings with mycorrhizae contained more phosphorus than shoots of non-mycorrhizal seedlings. The relations between growth and phosphatase activity of P. involutus isolates and their efficiency in supplying the host plant with phosphate are discussed.     

外生菌根菌对樟子松苗木生长的影响

以内蒙古大兴安林樟子松分布区较典型的6个乡土菌种与本实验室从法国引进的宿主范围较广的2个菌种及内蒙古地区分布广泛的土生空团菌为研究对象,采用固体和液体两种菌剂类型,对出苗30d左右的樟子松实生苗进行外生菌根菌接种试验,接种130d后观察菌根侵染情况及生长特性,同时对菌根化的樟子松苗木进行自然干旱胁迫,研究外生菌根菌接种对樟子松苗木生长及抗逆性的影响。结果显示:(1)5个乡土菌种和1个法国引进菌种均能够与樟子松实生苗共生菌根,菌根化苗木较对照的苗高增长10.5%～111.4%、地茎增长4.55%～92.8%、苗木干重增加6.8%～184.5%,且固体菌剂效果优于液体菌剂。(2)在干旱胁迫下,菌根化苗木叶绿素含量较对照增加5.82%～36.92%、净光合速率提高120.2%～217.03%,叶片推迟10.3～25h出现萎蔫,临界致死时间推迟13.8～38.2h。(3)接种菌种厚环乳牛肝菌和点柄乳牛肝菌的苗木菌根侵染率、苗木生长量、干旱胁迫下各项生理指标均显著优于其他菌种和对照。研究表明,樟子松实生苗菌根化对苗木生长有明显的促进作用,能够提高苗木对干旱胁迫的抵御能力;厚环乳牛肝菌和点柄乳牛肝菌是有潜在研究和应用价值的优良菌株,这两个菌株的固体菌剂可用于樟子松菌苗生产。     

Quantitative losses vs. qualitative stability of ectomycorrhizal community responses to 3 years of experimental summer drought in a beech–spruce forest

Forest ecosystems in central Europe are predicted to face an increasing frequency and severity of summer droughts because of global climate change. European beech and Norway spruce often coexist in these forests with mostly positive effects on their growth. However, their different below‐ground responses to drought may lead to differences in ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal community composition and functions which we examined at the individual root and ecosystem levels. We installed retractable roofs over plots in Kranzberg Forest (11°39′42″E, 48°25′12″N; 490 m a.s.l.) to impose repeated summer drought conditions and assigned zones within each plot where trees neighboured the same or different species to study mixed species effects. We found that ECM fungal community composition changed and the numbers of vital mycorrhizae decreased for both tree species over 3 drought years (2014–2016), with the ECM fungal community diversity of beech exhibiting a faster and of spruce a stronger decline. Mixed stands had a positive effect on the ECM fungal community diversity of both tree species after the third drought year. Ectomycorrhizae with long rhizomorphs increased in both species under drought, indicating long‐distance water transport. However, there was a progressive decline in the number of vital fine roots during the experiment, resulting in a strong reduction in enzyme activity per unit volume of soil. Hydrolytic enzyme activities of the surviving ectomycorrhizae were stable or stimulated upon drought, but there was a large decline in ECM fungal species with laccase activity, indicating a decreased potential to exploit nutrients bound to phenolic compounds. Thus, the ectomycorrhizae responded to repeated drought by maintaining or increasing their functionality at the individual root level, but were unable to compensate for quantitative losses at the ecosystem level. These findings demonstrate a strong below‐ground impact of recurrent drought events in forests.     

Multiyear fate of a 15N tracer in a mixed deciduous forest: retention,redistribution, and differences by mycorrhizal association

The impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems depends in large part on its fate. Past tracer studies show that litter and soils dominate the short‐term fate of added ¹⁵N, yet few have examined its longer term dynamics or differences among forest types. This study examined the fate of a ¹⁵N‐ tracer over 5–6 years in a mixed deciduous stand that was evenly composed of trees with ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. The tracer was expected to slowly mineralize from its main initial fate in litter and surface soil, with some ¹⁵N moving to trees, some to deeper soil, and some net losses. Recovery of added ¹⁵N in trees and litterfall totaled 11.3% both 1 and 5–6 years after the tracer addition, as ¹⁵N redistributed from fine and especially coarse roots into cumulative litterfall and small accumulations in woody tissues. Estimates of potential carbon sequestration from tree ¹⁵N recovery amounted to 12–14 kg C per kg of N deposition. Tree ¹⁵N acquisition occurred within the first year after the tracer addition, with no subsequent additional net transfer of ¹⁵N from detrital to plant pools. In both years, ectomycorrhizal trees gained 50% more of the tracer than did trees with arbuscular mycorrhizae. Much of the ¹⁵N recovered in wood occurred in tree rings formed prior to the ¹⁵N addition, demonstrating the mobility of N in wood. Tracer recovery rapidly decreased over time in surface litter material and accumulated in both shallow and deep soil, perhaps through mixing by earthworms. Overall, results showed redistribution of tracer ¹⁵N through trees and surface soils without any losses, as whole‐ecosystem recovery remained constant between 1 and 5–6 years at 70% of the ¹⁵N addition. These results demonstrate the persistent ecosystem retention of N deposition even as it redistributes, without additional plant uptake over this timescale.     

Tropical Monodominance: A Preliminary Test of the Ectomycorrhizal Hypothesis1

This study reports results from the first explicit test of the ectomycorrhizal hypothesis for tropical monodominance in the Ituri Forest of the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), where the canopy tree Gilbertiodendron dewevrei forms large, monospecific stands. To test the hypothesis that ectomycorrhizae are important to the success of dominant species, we surveyed the mycorrhizal status of dominant species, as well as other common, but not dominant, species in the forest. The survey reveals that two dominant species, Gilbertiodendron dewevrei and Julbernardia seretii, form ectomycorrhizae and vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae, while Cynometra alexandri, another dominant, forms only vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae. These results, along with those of other species in this and other forests, are discussed within the context of the ectomycorrhizal hypothesis for tropical mondominance. This study demonstrates that the relationship between EM and tropical monodominance is more complex than has been previously recognized.     

Vegetation influence on ectomycorrhizal inoculum Available to sub-arctic willow (Salix lapponum L.) planted in an upland Site

Summary

Restoration of scrub and woodland in deforested upland sites is an important conservation activity. However, little is known about the mycorrhizal colonisation potential of upland soils or the factors that influence the distribution of mycorrhizal inoculum. We investigated the effect of existing vegetation on mycorrhizal colonisation potential for a sub-arctic willow (Salix lapponum) by planting uninoculated cuttings into plotsrepresenting two upland habitats with either grassand herbs (‘grass’) or Vaccinium myrtillus (‘vaccinium’) and assessing mycorrhizal colonisation after 14 months using morphological and molecular techniques. From 40 willow cuttings (20 in each habitat), DNA sequences of rive ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal taxa were recovered: Laccaria proxima, Thelephora terrestris, Hebeloma sp., ‘Thelephoraceae sp.’ and ‘Pezizales sp.’. Cuttings in the ‘grass’ habitat were dominated by Laccaria proxima and ‘Pezizales sp.’ and in the ‘vaccinium’ habitat by Thelephora terrestris which was absent from the ‘grass’ habitat. There were no significant differences between habitats in frequency of EcM inoculum (overall percentage of cuttings colonised = 70%) or colonisation potential (overall mean percentage of root tips colonised per cutting = 20 %). These data suggest that the mycorrhizal colonisation potential and diversity of fungi available to willow in these upland soils are low and planted willow may benefit from inoculum enhancement.