Management After Windstorm Affects the Composition of Ectomycorrhizal Symbionts of Regenerating Trees but Not Their Mycorrhizal Networks

Abstract

Due to ongoing climate change, forests are expected to face significant disturbances more frequently than in the past. Appropriate management is intended to facilitate forest regeneration. Because European temperate forests mostly consist of trees associated with ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi, understanding their role in these disturbances is important to develop strategies to minimize their consequences and effectively restore forests. Our aim was to determine how traditional (EXT) and nonintervention (NEX) management in originally Norway spruce (Picea abies) forests with an admixture of European larch (Larix decidua) affect ECM fungal communities and the potential to interconnect different tree species via ECM networks 15 years after a windstorm. Ten plots in NEX and 10 plots in EXT with the co-occurrences of Norway spruce, European larch, and silver birch (Betula pendula) were selected, and a total of 57 ECM taxa were identified using ITS sequencing from ECM root tips. In both treatments, five ECM species associated with all the studied tree species dominated, with a total abundance of approximately 50% in the examined root samples. Because there were no significant differences between treatments in the number of ECM species associated with different tree species combinations in individual plots, we concluded that the management type did not have a significant effect on networking. However, management significantly affected the compositions of ECM symbionts of Norway spruce and European larch but not those of silver birch. Although this result is explained by the occurrence of seedlings and ECM propagules that were present in the original forest, the consequences are difficult to assess without knowledge of the ecology of different ECM symbionts.

Keywords: disturbances; diversity; ectomycorrhizal fungi; exploration types; mycorrhizal networks.

FIGURE 1

Venn diagram displaying the numbers of shared and specific ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal species in NEX (plots without management) and EXT (plots with traditional management) treatments on (A) Picea abies, (B) Larix decidua, and (C) Betula pendula.

FIGURE 2

Ordination diagram from canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of ECM fungal species presence on tree species (P—Picea abies, L—Larix decidua, and B—Betula pendula) in NEX (plots without management) and EXT (plots with traditional management) treatments. Species: AmaMus—Amanita muscaria, AmpBys—Amphinema byssoides, CenGeo—Cenococcum geophilum, ClaSp—Clavulina sp., CorAno—Cortinarius anomalu, CorBat—Cortinarius bataillei, CorCin—Cortinarius cinnamomeus, CorCro—Cortinarius croceus, CorPar—Cortinarius parvannulatus, CorPor—Cortinarius porphyropus, CorRap—Cortinarius raphanoides, CorVit—Cortinarius vitiosus, Hel1—Helotiales1, Hel2—Helotiales2, Hel3—Helotiales3, ImlBad—Imleria badia, InoSol—Inocybe soluta, LacLac—Laccaria laccata, LacPro—Laccaria proxima, LacGly—Lactarius glyciosmus, LacHel—Lactarius helvus, LacLig—Lactarius lignyotus, LacNec—Lactarius necator, LacRuf—Lactarius rufus, LacTab—Lactarius tabidus, LecHol—Leccinum holopus, LecVar—Leccinum variicolor, MelBic—Meliniomyces bicolor, MelVar—Meliniomyces variabilis, MelVra—Meliniomyces vraolstadiae, NeoLur—Neoboletus luridiformis, PaxInv—Paxillus involutus, PhiFor—Phialocephala fortinii, PhiSph—Phialocephala sphaeroides, PilBic—Piloderma bicolor, PilOli—Piloderma olivaceum, PilSph—Piloderma sphaerosporum, PseFla—Pseudotomentella flavovirens, PseVep—Pseudotomentella vepallidospora, RhiSal—Rhizopogon salebrosus, RhoBut—Rhodocollybia butyracea, RusAtr—Russula atrorubens, RusBet—Russula betularum, RusEme—Russula emetica, RusOch—Russula ochroleuca, RusSph—Russula sphagnophila, Seb—Sebacinales, SuiCav—Suillus cavipes, SuiGra—Suillus grevillei, SuiVis—Suillus viscidus, TheSp—Thelephora sp., TheTer—Thelephora terrestris, TomBad—Tomentella badia, TomSub—Tomentella sublilacina, TylFel—Tylopilus felleus, TylAst—Tylospora asterophora, and TylFib—Tylospora fibrillosa.

FIGURE 3

Ordination diagram from detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) with the ECM fungal species composition in NEX (plots without management) and EXT (plots with traditional management) treatments for single tree species: (A) Picea abies, (B) Larix decidua, and (C) Betula pendula.

FIGURE 4

Ordination diagram from canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) of ECM fungal species presence on tree roots in NEX (plots without management) and EXT (plots with traditional management) treatments for single tree species (P—Picea abies, L—Larix decidua, and B—Betula pendula) differentiated according to organic (F, H) and organo-mineral (A) soil horizons. Species: AmaMus—Amanita muscaria, AmpBys—Amphinema byssoides, CenGeo—Cenococcum geophilum, ClaSp—Clavulina sp., CorAno—Cortinarius anomalu, CorBat—Cortinarius bataillei, CorCin—Cortinarius cinnamomeus, CorCro—Cortinarius croceus, CorPar—Cortinarius parvannulatus, CorPor—Cortinarius porphyropus, CorRap—Cortinarius raphanoides, CorVit—Cortinarius vitiosus, Hel1—Helotiales1, Hel2—Helotiales2, Hel3—Helotiales3, ImlBad—Imleria badia, InoSol—Inocybe soluta, LacLac—Laccaria laccata, LacPro—Laccaria proxima, LacGly—Lactarius glyciosmus, LacHel—Lactarius helvus, LacLig—Lactarius lignyotus, LacNec—Lactarius necator, LacRuf—Lactarius rufus, LacTab—Lactarius tabidus, LecHol—Leccinum holopus, LecVar—Leccinum variicolor, MelBic—Meliniomyces bicolor, MelVar—Meliniomyces variabilis, MelVra—Meliniomyces vraolstadiae, NeoLur—Neoboletus luridiformis, PaxInv—Paxillus involutus, PhiFor—Phialocephala fortinii, PhiSph—Phialocephala sphaeroides, PilBic—Piloderma bicolor, PilOli—Piloderma olivaceum, PilSph—Piloderma sphaerosporum, PseFla—Pseudotomentella flavovirens, PseVep—Pseudotomentella vepallidospora, RhiSal—Rhizopogon salebrosus, RhoBut—Rhodocollybia butyracea, RusAtr—Russula atrorubens, RusBet—Russula betularum, RusEme—Russula emetica, RusOch—Russula ochroleuca, RusSph—Russula sphagnophila, Seb—Sebacinales, SuiCav—Suillus cavipes, SuiGra—Suillus grevillei, SuiVis—Suillus viscidus, TheSp—Thelephora sp., TheTer—Thelephora terrestris, TomBad—Tomentella badia, TomSub—Tomentella sublilacina, TylFel—Tylopilus felleus, TylAst—Tylospora asterophora, and TylFib—Tylospora fibrillosa.