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Authier L, Violle C, Richard F. Ectomycorrhizal Networks in the Anthropocene: From Natural Ecosystems to Urban Planning. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:900231. [PMID: 35845640 PMCID: PMC9280895 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.900231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Trees acquire hydric and mineral soil resources through root mutualistic associations. In most boreal, temperate and Mediterranean forests, these functions are realized by a chimeric structure called ectomycorrhizae. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are highly diversified and vary widely in their specificity toward plant hosts. Reciprocally, association patterns of ECM plants range from highly specialist to generalist. As a consequence, ECM symbiosis creates interaction networks, which also mediate plant-plant nutrient interactions among different individuals and drive plant community dynamics. Our knowledge of ECM networks essentially relies on a corpus acquired in temperate ecosystems, whereas the below-ground facets of both anthropogenic ECM forests and inter-tropical forests remain poorly investigated. Here, we successively (1) review the current knowledge of ECM networks, (2) examine the content of early literature produced in ECM cultivated forests, (3) analyze the recent progress that has been made in understanding the place of ECM networks in urban soils, and (4) provide directions for future research based on the identification of knowledge gaps. From the examined corpus of knowledge, we reach three main conclusions. First, the emergence of metabarcoding tools has propelled a resurgence of interest in applying network theory to ECM symbiosis. These methods revealed an unexpected interconnection between mutualistic plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) herbaceous plants, embedding ECM mycelia through root-endophytic interactions. This affinity of ECM fungi to bind VA and ECM plants, raises questions on the nature of the associated functions. Second, despite the central place of ECM trees in cultivated forests, little attention has been paid to these man-made landscapes and in-depth research on this topic is lacking. Third, we report a lag in applying the ECM network theory to urban soils, despite management initiatives striving to interconnect motile organisms through ecological corridors, and the highly challenging task of interconnecting fixed organisms in urban greenspaces is discussed. In particular, we observe a pauperized nature of resident ECM inoculum and a spatial conflict between belowground human pipelines and ECM networks. Finally, we identify the main directions of future research to make the needed link between the current picture of plant functioning and the understanding of belowground ECM networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Authier
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier - CNRS - EPHE - IRD, Montpellier, France
- Ilex Paysage + Urbanisme, Lyon, France
| | - Cyrille Violle
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier - CNRS - EPHE - IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Franck Richard
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier - CNRS - EPHE - IRD, Montpellier, France
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Lang X, Xu A, Wang Y, Song Z. Seasonal variation of aerosol fungal community structure in reed constructed wetlands. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:19420-19431. [PMID: 34718950 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-17138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the impact of biological aerosols produced by sewage treatment plants on air quality and human health has become a hot spot of concern. Airborne fungi were characterized via KC-1000 large-flow air sampler and Anderson-type six-stage sampler, at free surface flowing reed constructed wetland located in Qingdao City, Shandong Province. The high-throughput sequencing technology and fungal culture-dependent method were selected to analyze the composition and dynamic changes of the fungal community attached to the atmospheric particulate matter in the free surface flow constructed wetland. The results showed that the aerosol concentration of fungi in the constructed wetlands varied from 587 to approximately 3382 CFU m-3, with a peak at the range of 1.10 to 2.10 μm particle size, and the particles (< 4.70 μm) that easily entered the lungs accounted for 57.03 ~ 96.03%. Significant seasonal differences in fungal richness and community diversity were found. The particle size distribution of fungi in atmospheric particles was not obvious. Fungal genera in the atmospheric particulate matter were mainly driven by humidity. However, other factors, i.e., temperature, NO2, SO2, and PM10 contents, also contributed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiulu Lang
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210023, China
- Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Ailing Xu
- School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, China
| | - Yanhua Wang
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment (Nanjing Normal University), Ministry of Education, Nanjing, 210023, China.
- Jiangsu Center for Collaborative Innovation in Geographical Information Resource Development and Application, Nanjing, 210023, China.
| | - Zhiwen Song
- School of Environment and Municipal Engineering, Qingdao University of Technology, Qingdao, 266033, China.
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Baruch Z, Liddicoat C, Laws M, Kiri Marker L, Morelli H, Yan D, Young JM, Breed MF. Characterising the soil fungal microbiome in metropolitan green spaces across a vegetation biodiversity gradient. FUNGAL ECOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2020.100939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Zhang X, Chen X, Liu M, Xu Z, Wei H. Coupled changes in soil organic carbon fractions and microbial community composition in urban and suburban forests. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15933. [PMID: 32985613 PMCID: PMC7522236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73119-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change and rapid urbanization have greatly impacted urban forest ecosystems and the carbon (C) cycle. To assess the effects of urbanization on forest soil C and soil microorganisms, six natural forests in a highly-urbanized region were selected as the research objects. Soil samples were collected to investigate the content and fractions of the soil organic carbon (SOC), as well as the soil microbial community composition. The results showed that the SOC content and fractions were substantially lower in the urban forests than in the suburban forests. Meanwhile, the total amount of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) at suburban sites was twice more than that at urban sites, with shifts in microbial community structure. The potential differences in C inputs and nutrient limitation in urban forests may aggravate the low quantity and quality of SOC and consequently impact microbial community abundance and structure. Variation in microbial community structure was found to explain the loss of soil C pools by affecting the C inputs and promoting the decomposition of SOC. Therefore, the coupled changes in SOC and soil microorganisms induced by urbanization may adversely affect soil C sequestration in subtropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Zhang
- School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Xiaomei Chen
- School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
| | - Muying Liu
- School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Zhanying Xu
- School of Geographical Sciences, Guangzhou University, 230 Wai Huan Xi Road, Guangzhou Higher Education Mega Center, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Hui Wei
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
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Norton BA, Bending GD, Clark R, Corstanje R, Dunnett N, Evans KL, Grafius DR, Gravestock E, Grice SM, Harris JA, Hilton S, Hoyle H, Lim E, Mercer TG, Pawlett M, Pescott OL, Richards JP, Southon GE, Warren PH. Urban meadows as an alternative to short mown grassland: effects of composition and height on biodiversity. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 29:e01946. [PMID: 31173423 PMCID: PMC6851864 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Revised: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
There are increasing calls to provide greenspace in urban areas, yet the ecological quality, as well as quantity, of greenspace is important. Short mown grassland designed for recreational use is the dominant form of urban greenspace in temperate regions but requires considerable maintenance and typically provides limited habitat value for most taxa. Alternatives are increasingly proposed, but the biodiversity potential of these is not well understood. In a replicated experiment across six public urban greenspaces, we used nine different perennial meadow plantings to quantify the relative roles of floristic diversity and height of sown meadows on the richness and composition of three taxonomic groups: plants, invertebrates, and soil microbes. We found that all meadow treatments were colonized by plant species not sown in the plots, suggesting that establishing sown meadows does not preclude further locally determined grassland development if management is appropriate. Colonizing species were rarer in taller and more diverse plots, indicating competition may limit invasion rates. Urban meadow treatments contained invertebrate and microbial communities that differed from mown grassland. Invertebrate taxa responded to changes in both height and richness of meadow vegetation, but most orders were more abundant where vegetation height was longer than mown grassland. Order richness also increased in longer vegetation and Coleoptera family richness increased with plant diversity in summer. Microbial community composition seems sensitive to plant species composition at the soil surface (0-10 cm), but in deeper soils (11-20 cm) community variation was most responsive to plant height, with bacteria and fungi responding differently. In addition to improving local residents' site satisfaction, native perennial meadow plantings can produce biologically diverse grasslands that support richer and more abundant invertebrate communities, and restructured plant, invertebrate, and soil microbial communities compared with short mown grassland. Our results suggest that diversification of urban greenspace by planting urban meadows in place of some mown amenity grassland is likely to generate substantial biodiversity benefits, with a mosaic of meadow types likely to maximize such benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briony A. Norton
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
- College of Life and Natural SciencesUniversity of DerbyDerbyDE22 1GBUnited Kingdom
| | - Gary D. Bending
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Rachel Clark
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Ron Corstanje
- Centre for Environmental and Agricultural InformaticsCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Nigel Dunnett
- Department of LandscapeUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Karl L. Evans
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Darren R. Grafius
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood InstituteCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Emily Gravestock
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Samuel M. Grice
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood InstituteCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Jim A. Harris
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood InstituteCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Sally Hilton
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of WarwickCoventryCV4 7ALUnited Kingdom
| | - Helen Hoyle
- Department of LandscapeUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
- Department of Architecture and Built EnvironmentUWE BristolBristolBS16 1QYUnited Kingdom
| | - Edward Lim
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Theresa G. Mercer
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood InstituteCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
- School of GeographyUniversity of LincolnLincolnLN6 7TSUnited Kingdom
| | - Mark Pawlett
- Cranfield Soil and Agrifood InstituteCranfield UniversityCranfieldMK43 0ALUnited Kingdom
| | | | - J. Paul Richards
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Georgina E. Southon
- Department of LandscapeUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
| | - Philip H. Warren
- Department of Animal and Plant SciencesUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldS10 2TNUnited Kingdom
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Shao JL, Lai B, Jiang W, Wang JT, Hong YH, Chen FB, Tan SQ, Guo LX. Diversity and Co-Occurrence Patterns of Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities of Chinese Cordyceps Habitats at Shergyla Mountain, Tibet: Implications for the Occurrence. Microorganisms 2019; 7:microorganisms7090284. [PMID: 31443515 PMCID: PMC6780579 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms7090284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chinese Cordyceps is a well-known medicinal larva-fungus symbiote distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. Previous studies have involved its artificial cultivation but commercial cultivation is difficult to perform because the crucial factors triggering the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps are not quite clear. The occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps is greatly affected by the soil environment, including the soil’s physicochemical and microecological properties. In this study, the effects of these soil properties on the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps were investigated. The results show that the physicochemical properties, including easily oxidizable organic carbon (EOC), soil organic carbon (SOC), humic acid carbon (HAC), humin carbon (HMC), and pH, might be negatively related to the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps, and soil water content (SWC) might be positively related. Several soil physicochemical parameters (pH, SOC, HMC, HAC, available potassium (APO), available phosphorus (APH), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and the ratio of NH4+ to NO3− (NH4+/NO3−)) and microbial properties interact and mix together, which might affect the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps. Soil microbial community structure was also a possible factor, and a low level of bacterial and fungal diversity was suitable for the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps. The intra-kingdom network revealed that a closer correlation of the bacterial community might help the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps, while a closer correlation of the fungal community might suppress it. The inter-kingdom network revealed that the occurrence rate of Chinese Cordyceps might be negatively correlated with the stability of the correlation state of the soil habitat. In conclusion, this study shows that soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities could be greatly related with the occurrence of Chinese Cordyceps. In addition, soil physicochemical properties, the level of bacterial and fungal diversity, and correlations of bacterial and fungal communities should be controlled to a certain level to increase the production of Chinese Cordyceps in artificial cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Li Shao
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Bei Lai
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Jia-Ting Wang
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Yue-Hui Hong
- Department of Basic Medicine, Guangdong Jiangmen Chinese Medical College, Jiangmen 529000, China
| | - Fu-Bin Chen
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Shao-Qing Tan
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Lian-Xian Guo
- Dongguan Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Guangdong Medical University, Dongguan 523808, China.
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Paz CP, Gallon M, Putzke J, Ganade G. Changes in Macrofungal Communities Following Forest Conversion into Tree Plantations in Southern Brazil. Biotropica 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia P. Paz
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS; C.P. 275 CEP: 93001-970 São Leopoldo RS Brazil
- College of Marine and Environmental Sciences; James Cook University; PO Box 6811 4870 Cairns Qld Australia
| | - Mônica Gallon
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS; C.P. 275 CEP: 93001-970 São Leopoldo RS Brazil
| | - Jair Putzke
- Universidade de Santa Cruz do Sul - UNISC; C.P. 188 CEP: 96815-900 Santa Cruz do Sul RS Brazil
| | - Gislene Ganade
- Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos - UNISINOS; C.P. 275 CEP: 93001-970 São Leopoldo RS Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia; Centro de Biociências; Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN; CEP: 59078-900 Natal RN Brazil
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Prober SM, Bissett A, Walker C, Wiehl G, McIntyre S, Tibbett M. Spatial structuring of arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in benchmark and modified temperate eucalypt woodlands. MYCORRHIZA 2015; 25:41-54. [PMID: 24879562 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-014-0587-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are crucial to the functioning of the plant-soil system, but little is known about the spatial structuring of AMF communities across landscapes modified by agriculture. AMF community composition was characterized across four sites in the highly cleared south-western Australian wheatbelt that were originally dominated by forb-rich eucalypt woodlands. Environmentally induced spatial structuring in AMF composition was examined at four scales: the regional scale associated with location, the site scale associated with past management (benchmark woodlands with no agricultural management history, livestock grazing, recent revegetation), the patch scale associated with trees and canopy gaps, and the fine scale associated with the herbaceous plant species beneath which soils were sourced. Field-collected soils were cultured in trap pots; then, AMF composition was determined by identifying spores and through ITS1 sequencing. Structuring was strongest at site scales, where composition was strongly related to prior management and associated changes in soil phosphorus. The two fields were dominated by the genera Funneliformis and Paraglomus, with little convergence back to woodland composition after revegetation. The two benchmark woodlands were characterized by Ambispora gerdemannii and taxa from Gigasporaceae. Their AMF communities were strongly structured at patch scales associated with trees and gaps, in turn most strongly related to soil N. By contrast, there were few patterns at fine scales related to different herbaceous plant species, or at regional scales associated with the 175 km distance between benchmark woodlands. Important areas for future investigation are to identify the circumstances in which recolonization by woodland AMF may be limited by fungal propagule availability, reduced plant diversity and/or altered chemistry in agricultural soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne M Prober
- CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Private Bag 5, Wembley, Perth, WA, Australia, 6913,
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Yao F, Vik U, Brysting AK, Carlsen T, Halvorsen R, Kauserud H. Substantial compositional turnover of fungal communities in an alpine ridge-to-snowbed gradient. Mol Ecol 2013; 22:5040-52. [PMID: 23962113 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 06/28/2013] [Accepted: 07/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The main gradient in vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen species composition in alpine areas, structured by the topographic gradient from wind-exposed ridges to snowbeds, has been extensively studied. Tolerance to environmental stress, resulting from wind abrasion and desiccation towards windswept ridges or reduced growing season due to prolonged snow cover towards snowbeds, is an important ecological mechanism in this gradient. The extent to which belowground fungal communities are structured by the same topographic gradient and the eventual mechanisms involved are less well known. In this study, we analysed variation in fungal diversity and community composition associated with roots of the ectomycorrhizal plant Bistorta vivipara along the ridge-to-snowbed gradient. We collected root samples from fifty B. vivipara plants in ten plots in an alpine area in central Norway. The fungal communities were analysed using 454 pyrosequencing analyses of tag-encoded ITS1 amplicons. A distinct gradient in the fungal community composition was found that coincided with variation from ridge to snowbeds. This gradient was paralleled by change in soil content of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus. A large proportion (66%) of the detected 801 nonsingleton operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were ascomycetes, while basidiomycetes dominated quantitatively (i.e. with respect to number of reads). Numerous fungal OTUs, many with taxonomic affinity to Sebacinales, Cortinarius and Meliniomyces, showed distinct affinities either to ridge or to snowbed plots, indicating habitat specialization. The compositional turnover of fungal communities along the gradient was not paralleled by a gradient in species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yao
- Microbial Evolution Research Group, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1066, 0316, Oslo, Norway
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Ishaq L, Barber PA, Hardy GESJ, Calver M, Dell B. Seedling mycorrhizal type and soil chemistry are related to canopy condition of Eucalyptus gomphocephala. MYCORRHIZA 2013; 23:359-371. [PMID: 23314749 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-012-0476-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The health of Eucalyptus gomphocephala is declining within its natural range in south-western Australia. In a pilot study to assess whether changes in mycorrhizal fungi and soil chemistry might be associated with E. gomphocephala decline, we set up a containerized bioassay experiment with E. gomphocephala as the trap plant using intact soil cores collected from 12 sites with E. gomphocephala canopy condition ranging from healthy to declining. Adjacent soil samples were collected for chemical analysis. The type of mycorrhiza (arbuscular or ectomycorrhizal) formed in containerized seedlings predicted the canopy condition of E. gomphocephala at the sites where the cores were taken. Ectomycorrhizal fungi colonization was higher in seedling roots in soil taken from sites with healthy canopies, whereas colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi dominated in roots in soil taken from sites with declining canopies. Furthermore, several soil chemical properties predicted canopy condition and the type of mycorrhizal fungi colonizing roots. These preliminary findings suggest that large-scale studies should be undertaken in the field to quantify those ectomycorrhiza (ECM) fungi sensitive to E. gomphocephala canopy decline and whether particular ECM fungi are bioindicators of ecosystem health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Ishaq
- Centre of Excellence for Climate Change, Woodland and Forest Health, Murdoch University, Perth, WA 6150, Australia
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