Vegetation influence on ectomycorrhizal inoculum Available to sub-arctic willow (Salix lapponum L.) planted in an upland Site |
| |
Authors: | J.M. Milne R.A. Ennos P.M. Hollingsworth |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Mountain Studies , Perth College-UHI , Crieff Road, Perth , PH1 2NX E-mail: jeremy.milne@perth.uhi.ac.uk;2. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh , 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh , EH3 5LR;3. Institute of Evolutionary Biology , University of Edinburgh , King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, Edinburgh , EH9 3JR;4. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh , 20A Inverleith Row, Edinburgh , EH3 5LR |
| |
Abstract: | 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. |
| |
Keywords: | ectomycorrhizae Laccaria proxima montane willow restoration Thelephora terrestris |
|
|