Abstract
We 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: cinder soils low in nutrients and moisture, and sandy-loam soils with higher moisture and nutrient levels. 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 ectomycorrhizal types, a species abundance pattern common to many plant and animal communities. Second, unlike the pattern for many other organisms, ectomycorrhizal fungal type (species) 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 (range of 15–19 fungal types for both soil 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. Differential amplification using primers with enhanced specificity for basidiomycetes indicated that an average of 85% of the ectomycorrhiza found at the sandy-loam sites were members of the subphylum Basidiomycotina, whereas over half (mean = 52%) of the ectomycorrhiza at the cinder sites were formed by members of other fungal groups, probably the subphylum Ascomycotina. 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. However, the same RFLP types did not dominate on all trees, and dominant types showed considerable spatial variation. 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. This emphasizes the need to characterize the ectomycorrhizal communities formed on the plant roots themselves, rather than characterization based on sporocarps alone, particularly in arid environments. Finally, the differences in ectomycorrhizal fungal communities we observed between soil types supported the concept that conserving fungal diversity requires conservation of host plant species over their entire range, not just typical sites. If future studies corroborate these patterns, our results suggest that abiotically stressful environments are important to include in these conservation efforts.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of pinyon pine in both cinder and sandy-loam soils were dominated by one or a few abundant ectomycorrhizal types.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- ectomycorrhizale1symbiont
- Outcome
- dominated by one or a few abundant ectomycorrhizal typese1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“communities in both cinder and sandy-loam soils were dominated by one or a few abundant ectomycorrhizal types”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
Ectomycorrhizal fungal type richness was not correlated with measures of ecosystem productivity such as soil nutrient and moisture levels.
Verbatim
e1“ectomycorrhizal fungal type (species) richness was not correlated with measures of ecosystem productivity such as soil nutrient and moisture levels”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
Cinder and sandy-loam soils had similar numbers of ectomycorrhizal fungal types, in the range of 15-19 types for both soil types.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- ectomycorrhizal fungale1symbiont
- Outcome
- numbers of ectomycorrhizal fungal typese1
- Value
- range of 15–19 fungal typese1
- Setting
- cinder and sandy-loam soilse1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“cinder and sandy-loam soils had similar numbers of ectomycorrhizal fungal types (range of 15–19 fungal types for both soil types)”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
Soil type and ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition were linked: cluster analysis showed greater similarity of fungal communities among sites within soil types than between soil types.
Verbatim
e1“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”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
On average 85% of the ectomycorrhiza at the sandy-loam sites were members of the subphylum Basidiomycotina.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- Basidiomycotinae1symbiont
- Outcome
- members of the subphylum Basidiomycotinae1
- Value
- 85%e1
- Setting
- sandy-loam sitese1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“an average of 85% of the ectomycorrhiza found at the sandy-loam sites were members of the subphylum Basidiomycotina”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
Over half (mean 52%) of the ectomycorrhiza at the cinder sites were formed by members of other fungal groups, probably the subphylum Ascomycotina.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- other fungal groupse1symbiont
- Outcome
- formed by members of other fungal groupse1
- Value
- mean = 52%e1
- Setting
- cinder sitese1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“over half (mean = 52%) of the ectomycorrhiza at the cinder sites were formed by members of other fungal groups”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
In a preliminary survey of root tips from 20 trees at one cinder site, trees were dominated by one or a few ectomycorrhizal RFLP types.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- ectomycorrhizale1symbiont
- Outcome
- dominated by one or a few ectomycorrhizal RFLP typese1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“trees were dominated by one or a few ectomycorrhizal RFLP types”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
The same RFLP types did not dominate on all trees.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“the same RFLP types did not dominate on all trees”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
Dominant ectomycorrhizal RFLP types showed considerable spatial variation.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“dominant types showed considerable spatial variation”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
RFLP patterns of some fungal sporocarps matched those of ectomycorrhizal root tips, but many did not.
- Taxon
- PINYON PINESt0
- Interactor
- fungale1symbiont
- Outcome
- RFLP patterns of some fungal sporocarps matched those of ectomycorrhizal root tipse1
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e1“the RFLP patterns of some fungal sporocarps matched those of ectomycorrhizal root tips, but many did not”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that ectomycorrhizal communities need to be characterized on the plant roots themselves rather than from sporocarps alone, particularly in arid environments.
Verbatim
e1“This emphasizes the need to characterize the ectomycorrhizal communities formed on the plant roots themselves”
t0“PINYON PINES”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that conserving fungal diversity requires conservation of host plant species over their entire range, not just typical sites.
Verbatim
e1“conserving fungal diversity requires conservation of host plant species over their entire range”
t0“PINYON PINES”