Fungal succession during the decomposition of ectomycorrhizal fine roots

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dc.contributor.authorGray, Logan
dc.contributor.authorKernaghan, Gavin
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-30T14:10:48Z
dc.date.available2019-08-30T14:10:48Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.description.abstractEctomycorrhizal (ECM) fine roots account for a substantial proportion of forest production and their decomposition releases large amounts of nutrients to the soil ecosystem. However, little is known about the fungi involved in ECM decomposition, including assemblages of fungal saprotrophs, endophytes, and the ECM fungi themselves. To follow fungal succession during the degradation of senescing fine roots, understory seedlings of Abies balsamea and Picea rubens at two sites in the Acadian forest of Nova Scotia were either severed at the root collar or left as controls. Root systems were collected sequentially over two growing seasons and assessed for fine root loss and ECM mantle integrity. ECM were identified by ITS-PCR and grouped into broad morphological categories. Fungal communities colonizing the senescing fine roots were also monitored by systematically constructing clone libraries over the course of the experiment. ECM with cottony, weakly pigmented mantles (e.g., Cortinarius) degraded within the first year. Those with cottony, but intensely pigmented mantles (Piloderma), and smooth mantles with weak pigmentation (Russulaceae) degraded more slowly. Smooth, melanized ECM (Cenococcum and Tomentella) generally maintained integrity over the course of the experiment. Rates of fine root loss and changes in ECM mantle integrity were positively correlated with soil temperature. ECM DNA was detected throughout the experiment, and was not replaced by that of saprotrophic species during the two seasons sampled. However, fungal root endophytes (e.g., Helotiaceae) initially increased in abundance and then decreased as mantles degraded, suggesting a possible role in ECM decomposition.en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipResearch supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Province of Nova Scotia.en_US
dc.format.availabilityCitation onlyen_US
dc.identifier.citationGray, L. and Kernaghan, G. (2019). Fungal succession during the decomposition of ectomycorrhizal fine roots. Microbial Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-019-01418-3en_US
dc.identifier.otherdoi:10.1007/s00248-019-01418-3
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10587/1993
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherMicrobial Ecologyen_US
dc.subjectEctomycorrhiza degradationen_US
dc.subjectFungal root endophytesen_US
dc.subjectBiologyen_US
dc.subjectFungien_US
dc.subjectEctomycorrhizal fine rootsen_US
dc.titleFungal succession during the decomposition of ectomycorrhizal fine rootsen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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