Premium
Decomposition of 14 C‐labelled substrates by ectomycorrhizal fungi in association with Douglas fir
Author(s) -
DURALL D. M.,
TODD A. W.,
TRAPPE J. M.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-8137.1994.tb02976.x
Subject(s) - hemicellulose , ectomycorrhiza , cellulose , botany , seedling , lignin , mycorrhiza , decomposition , biology , chemistry , symbiosis , biochemistry , ecology , bacteria , genetics
SUMMARY Ectomycorrhizas of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco were synthesized in pure culture with Cenococcum geophilum Fr., Laccaria bicolor (Maire) Orton, Rhizopogon vinicolor Smith, or Suillus lakei (Murr.) Smith and Thiers. The mycorrhizal plants were grown in sterile vessels with peat/vermiculite plus 14 C labelled hemicellulose, cellulose, Douglas fir needles, or humic polymers as an organic substrate. The sum of the 14 C respired and that found in the seedling after 240 d of growth was used to quantify decomposition of the labelled substrates. All mycobionts released at least 20–30% of the 14 C in hemicellulose and all were able to release 14 C from cellulose and needles, escept L. buolttr , which failed to release 14 C from needles. S. lakei released the largest amount of 14 C from cellulose. C. geophilum, S. lakei and R. filticolor released similar amounts of 14 C from needles. Generally, substrates could be ranked in terms of ease of breakdown by the ectomycorrhizal fungi as follows: humic polymers < needles < cellulose < hemicellulose.