Ectomycorrhizal pre-inoculation of Pinus hartwegii and Abies religiosa is replaced by native fungi in a temperate forest of central Mexico

Few studies have focused on analyzing the effect of native inoculated ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal strains on seedlings under field conditions in temperate forests. However, it is crucial to verify that the positive effects of ECM under nursery conditions also occur in the field, favoring their perf...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Symbiosis (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2018-02, Vol.74 (2), p.131-144
Main Authors: Flores-Rentería, Dulce, Barradas, Victor L., Álvarez-Sánchez, Javier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abies religiosa
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Carbon dioxide
Colonization
Conductance
Developmental Biology
Ecology
Ectomycorrhizas
Environmental conditions
Evolutionary Biology
Fungi
Inoculation
Inoculum
Inocybe splendens
Life Sciences
Microbiology
Osmotic potential
Physiology
Pinus hartwegii
Plant growth
Plant Sciences
Seedlings
Stomata
Suillus brevipes
Water stress
Water use
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Summary:Few studies have focused on analyzing the effect of native inoculated ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal strains on seedlings under field conditions in temperate forests. However, it is crucial to verify that the positive effects of ECM under nursery conditions also occur in the field, favoring their performance. We evaluated the short-term effect of ECM on three-year-old seedlings of Pinus hartwegii and Abies religiosa in central Mexico by subjecting them to four treatments: inoculation with Inocybe splendens, inoculation with Suillus brevipes (both native strains), inoculation with forest soil, and non-inoculated plants. Percentage of ECM colonization, plant growth (shoot height and stem diameter), and physiological (osmotic potential, stomatal conductance, CO 2 assimilation and water use efficiency) responses were evaluated. We found that these two ECM species were partial ( P. hartwegii ) or totally ( A. religiosa ) replaced after one and a half years in the field. P. hartwegii seedlings increased their water use efficiency during the dry season, but in A. religiosa seedlings, a clear strategy for avoiding water stress was not detected. This ECM replacement had a negative effect on the physiological performance Of A. religiosa . Our results emphasize the importance of selecting compatible fungal-host species combinations for nursery inoculation and of using sources of inoculum adapted to the environmental conditions of the transplant site, ensuring root colonization prior to field transplanting to minimize seedling mortality due to water stress.
ISSN:0334-5114
1878-7665
DOI:10.1007/s13199-017-0498-z