Record ID No. |
1863 |
Author(s) |
Kottke I., Haug I., Setaro S., Suarez J.P., Weiss M., Preussing M., Nebel M., Oberwinkler F , 2008 |
Affiliation |
Univ Tubingen, Spezielle Bot Mykol & Bot Garden, Morgenstelle 1, D-72076 Tubingen, GERMANY |
Title |
Guilds of mycorrhizal fungi and their relation to trees, ericads, orchids and liverworts in a neotropical mountain rain forest |
Source. Vol.(no):Page |
Basic and Applied Ecology.9(1):13-23p. |
Categories |
Mycorrhiza General |
Subjects |
Biochemistry |
Sub-subjects |
Miscellaneous |
Organism |
n.a. |
Country |
GERMANY, Europe |
Abstracts |
Mycorrhizas of vascular plants and mycorrhiza-like associations of liverworts and
hornworts are integral parts of terrestrial ecosystems, but have rarely been studied in tropical
mountain rain forests. The tropical mountain rain forest area of the Reserva Biologica San
Francisco in South Ecuador situated on the eastern slope of the Cordillera El Consuelo is
exceptionally rich in tree species, ericads and orchids, but also in liverworts. Previous light
and electron microscopical studies revealed that tree roots are well colonized by structurally
diverse Glomeromycota, and that epiphytic, pleurothallid orchids form mycorrhizas with members of
the Tulasnellales and the Sebacinales (Basidiomycota). Sebacinales also occurred in mycorrhizas
of hemiepiphytic ericads and Tulasnellales were found in liverworts belonging to the Aneuraceae.
On the basis of these findings, we hypothesized that symbiotic fungi with a broad host range
created shared guilds or even fungal networks between different plant species and plant families.
To test this hypothesis, molecular phylogenetic studies of the fungi associated with roots and
thalli were carried out using sequences of the nuclear rDNA coding for the small subunit rRNA
(nucSSU) of Glomeromycota and the large subunit rRNA (nucLSU) of Basidiomycota. Sequence analyses
showed that Sebacinales and Tulasnellales were only shared within but not between ericads and
orchids or between liverworts and orchids, respectively. Regarding arbuscular-mycorrhiza-forming
trees, however, 18 out of 33 Glomus sequence types were shared by two to four tree species
belonging to distinct families. Nearly all investigated trees shared one sequence type with
another tree individual. Host range and potential shared guilds appeared to be restricted to the
plant family level for Basidiomycota, but were covering diverse plant families in case of
Glomeromycota. Given that the sequence types as defined here correspond to fungal species, our
findings indicate potential fungal networks between trees. (C) 2007 Gesellschaft fur Okologie.
Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved. |