Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi are important components of forest ecosystems. Ectomycorrhizas and their associated mycelial systems are the main organs of water and nutrient uptake for many forest trees. They are a major pathway for carbon movement to the soil ecosystem, and major contributors to soil respiration. ECM fungal assemblages are species rich, and there is good reason to believe that this taxonomic diversity reflects important functional diversity. However, we know very little about the way that the ectomycorrhizas formed by different ECM fungi are distributed below ground. Such information is important if we are to understand how communities of ECM fungi are structured, whether spatial patterning exists, and if such patterns pattern reflect the life history and growth form of ECM fungal species, their autecology, and their possible interactions (facilitation, interference, resource competition). This paper presents a detailed analysis of the spatial ecology of ectomycorrhizal fungi in a 120 year old Scots pine stand using a combination of morphological and molecular approaches, repeat sampling, and geostatistical analysis.
Results/Conclusions
The ectomycorrhizas of some fungi were distributed throughout the fine root system, while others were aggregated in discrete patches. There was evidence for association and dissociation of ECM species, and the distribution of species on the root system changed over time. There was also some evidence to support the idea that certain fungi in the community locally stimulated fine root production.
