Ectomycorrhizal diversity at five different tree species in forests of the Taunus Mountains in Central Germany.docVIP

Vol.3, No.1, 66-81 (2013) Open Journal of Ecology /10.4236/oje.2013.31009 Ectomycorrhizal diversity at five different tree species in forests of the Taunus Mountains in Central Germany Uwe Schirkonyer , Christine Bauer , Gunter M. Rothe 1* 2 1 1 * 2 Institute of General Botany, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany; Corresponding Author: uwe@schirkonyer.de Institute of Molecular Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany Received 9 December 2012; revised 10 January 2013; accepted 19 January 2013 ABSTRACT pared to younger ones. Higher nitrate concen- trations in upper soils correlated with lower numbers of mycorrhizal individuals. Ectomycorrhizal fungi were investigated on five different forest tree species growing in pure stands on the south slope of the Taunus Moun- tains, which are situated at the northern end of the Rhine rift valley in Central Germany. My- corrhizal fungi accompanying the genus Xero- comus were identified and their frequencies counted. Using ITS markers, 22 different fungal species were identified down to species level and 6 down to genus level. On European beech (Fagus sylvatica) 16 fungal species and 4 genera were identified and on Sessile oak (Quercus petraea) 16 ectomycorrhizal species and 2 gen- era were determined. On both deciduous trees we observed exclusively: Cortinarius subserti- pes, Genea hispidula, Lactarius quietus, Ty- lopilus felleus and a Melanogaster genus. On Norway spruce (Picea abies) we identified 13 different mycorrhizal species and 3 different genera, on Silver fir (Abies alba) 12 species and 3 genera, and in association with European larch (Larix decidua) 11 species and 3 genera. On these conifers Cortinarius anomalus, Lactarius necator and a Piloderma genus occurred exclu- sively. Comparisons with p