Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Cork oak (Quercus suber L.) forests play an important ecological and economic role. Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECMF) are key
components for the sustainability and functioning of these ecosystems. The community structure and composition of ECMF
associated with Q. suber in different landscapes of distinct Mediterranean bioclimate regions have not previously been compared.
In this work, soil samples from cork oak forests residing in different bioclimates (arid, semi-arid, sub-humid, and humid) were
collected and surveyed for ectomycorrhizal (ECM) root tips. A global analysis performed on 3565 ECM root tips revealed that
the ECMF community is highly enriched in Russula, Tomentella, and Cenoccocum, which correspond to the ECMF genera that
mainly contribute to community differences. The ECMF communities from the rainiest and the driest cork oak forests were
distinct, with soils from the rainiest climates being more heterogeneous than those from the driest climates. The analyses of
several abiotic factors on the ECMF communities revealed that bioclimate, precipitation, soil texture, and forest management
strongly influenced ECMF structure. Shifts in ECMF with different hyphal exploration types were also detected among forests,
with precipitation, forest system, and soil texture being the main drivers controlling their composition. Understanding the effects
of environmental factors on the structuring of ECM communities could be the first step for promoting the sustainability of this
threatened ecosystem.
Description
Keywords
Cork oak ECMF community Environmental factors Exploration types
Citation
Reis, Francisca; Valdiviesso, Teresa; Varela, Carolina; Tavares, Rui M.; Baptista, Paula; Lino-Neto, Teresa (2018). Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and community structure associated with cork oak in different landscapes. Mycorrhiza. ISSN 0940-6360. 28, p. 357-368