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Two common ecological assumptions are that host generalist and rare species are poorer competitors relative to host specialist and more abundant counterparts. While these assumptions have received considerable study in both plant and animals, how they apply to ectomycorrhizal fungi remains largely unknown. To investigate how interspecific competition may influence the anomalous host associations of the rare ectomycorrhizal generalist fungus,  Suillus subaureus , we conducted a seedling bioassay.  Pinus strobus  seedlings were inoculated in single- or two-species treatments of three  Suillus  species:  S .  subaureus ,  S .  americanus , and  S .  spraguei . After 4 and 8 months of growth, seedlings were harvested and scored for mycorrhizal colonization as well as dry biomass. At both time points, we found a clear competitive hierarchy among the three ectomycorrhizal fungal species:  S .  americanus  >  S .  subaureus  >  S .  spraguei , with the competitive inferior,  S .  spraguei , having significantly delayed colonization relative to  S .  americanus  and  S .  subaureus . In the single-species treatments, we found no significant differences in the dry biomasses of  P .  strobus  seedlings colonized by each  Suillus  species, suggesting none was a more effective plant symbiont. Taken together, these results indicate that the rarity and anomalous host associations exhibited by  S .  subaureus  in natural settings are not driven by inherently poor competitive ability or host growth promotion, but that the timing of colonization is a key factor determining the outcome of ectomycorrhizal fungal competitive interactions.

Does fungal competitive ability explain host specificity or rarity in ectomycorrhizal symbioses?