Ectomycorrhizal fungal community structure of pinyon pines growing in two environmental extremes

Journal Article · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998 · Ecology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1890/0012-9658(1998)079[1562:EFCSOP]2.0.CO;2· OSTI ID:638269

Gehring, C A; Theimer, T C; Whitham, T G; Keim, P ^[1]

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1. Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ (United States). Dept. of Biological Sciences

The authors used molecular techniques to examine the ectomycorrhizal fungal community associated with pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) growing in two soil types in a semiarid region of northern Arizona. Pinyon performance (e.g., growth, reproduction, water stress) has been shown to be markedly lower in cinder than in sandy-loam environments. Fungal community composition and richness were determined using RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) analysis of ectomycorrhizal root tips collected from three sites within each soil type. Several patterns emerged from these analyses. First, communities in both cinder and sandy-loam soils were dominated by one or a few abundant ectomytcorrhizal types, a species abundance pattern common to many plant and animal communities. Second, unlike the pattern for many other organisms, ectomycorrhizal fungal type richness was not correlated with measures of ecosystem productivity such as soil nutrient and moisture levels; cinder and sandy-loam soils had similar numbers of ectomycorrhizal fungal types. Third, soil type and fungal community composition were linked, as cluster analysis demonstrated greater similarity of fungal communities from sites within soil types than between them. Fourth, a preliminary survey of 14--45 ectomycorrhizal root tips from each of 20 trees at one cinder site indicated that trees were dominated by one or a few ectomycorrhizal RFLP types. Fifth, the RFLP patterns of some fungal sporocarps matched those of ectomycorrhizal root tips, but many did not, indicating that many of the ectomycorrhizal fungi at these sites fruit infrequently, whereas other fungi with more abundant sporocarps may not form ectomycorrhiza.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-94ER61849
• OSTI ID: 638269
• Journal Information: Ecology, Journal Name: Ecology Journal Issue: 5 Vol. 79; ISSN 0012-9658; ISSN ECOLAR
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ARID LANDS
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
FUNGI
GENETIC VARIABILITY
NUTRIENTS
PINES
PLANT GROWTH
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS