A single ectomycorrhizal plant root system includes a diverse and spatially structured fungal community

A single ectomycorrhizal plant root system includes a diverse and spatially structured fungal community

Although only a relatively small proportion of plant species form ectomycorrhizae with fungi, it is crucial for growth and survival for a number of widespread woody plant species. Few studies have attempted to investigate the fine scale spatial structure of entire root systems of adult ectomycorrhiz...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mycorrhiza Vol. 29; no. 3; pp. 167 - 180
Main Authors: Thoen, Ella, Aas, Anders B., Vik, Unni, Brysting, Anne K., Skrede, Inger, Carlsen, Tor, Kauserud, Håvard
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-05-2019
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Agriculture
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Ecology
Ectomycorrhizas
Flowers & plants
Forestry
Fungi
Life Sciences
Microbiology
Original Article
Plant roots
Plant Sciences
Plant species
Roots
Spacer region
Tips
Woody plants
Ectomycorrhiza
Fine-scale spatial structure
Bistorta vivipara
Priority effects
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Summary:Although only a relatively small proportion of plant species form ectomycorrhizae with fungi, it is crucial for growth and survival for a number of widespread woody plant species. Few studies have attempted to investigate the fine scale spatial structure of entire root systems of adult ectomycorrhizal (EcM) plants. Here, we use the herbaceous perennial Bistorta vivipara to map the entire root system of an adult EcM plant and investigate the spatial structure of its root-associated fungi. All EcM root tips were sampled, mapped and identified using a direct PCR approach and Sanger sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. A total of 32.1% of all sampled root tips (739 of 2302) were successfully sequenced and clustered into 41 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). We observed a clear spatial structuring of the root-associated fungi within the root system. Clusters of individual OTUs were observed in the younger parts of the root system, consistent with observations of priority effects in previous studies, but were absent from the older parts of the root system. This may suggest a succession and fragmentation of the root-associated fungi even at a very fine scale, where competition likely comes into play at different successional stages within the root system.
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ISSN:0940-6360
1432-1890
DOI:10.1007/s00572-019-00889-z