Ectomycorrhiza communities in drought and ringbarked semi mature sessile oak
Description
The effects of severe drought, simulated by installing rain exclusion shelters for 20 months, and reduced host C allocation associated with pathogen attack, simulated by partial ringbarking, on soil fungal communities associated with semi-mature Quercus petraea was studied. EMF communities were more strongly affected by 20 months of simulated drought than by partial ringbarking. Drought reduced EMF species richness and altered community composition with increased relative presence of saprotrophic fungi compared with untreated controls. These changes were likely associated with a combination of low soil moisture and drought-induced changes in soil nutrient dynamics, including increased inorganic nitrogen availability. Partial ringbarking did not affect overall community richness compared to the control, although specific nutrient stress indicator species, such as Cortinarius sp., were associated with the treatment.
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Institutions
- University of ReadingEngland, Reading