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Measuring external mycelia production of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the field: the soil matrix matters
Author(s) -
Hendricks Joseph J.,
Mitchell Robert J.,
Kuehn Kevin A.,
Pecot Stephen D.,
Sims Stephanie E.
Publication year - 2006
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.1469-8137.2006.01742.x
Subject(s) - mycelium , biology , soil water , biomass (ecology) , botany , ectomycorrhiza , pinus <genus> , agronomy , mycorrhiza , ecology , symbiosis , genetics , bacteria
Summary• Assessing mycorrhizal fungi production in field settings has been hindered by the inability to measure external mycelia. Recently, external mycelia production was measured in the field using a novel in‐growth core technique with acid‐washed sand as the in‐growth matrix. Here, we tested the assumption that external mycelia production in acid‐washed sand is representative of that in native soil. • External mycelia production was estimated as the difference in fungal growth between closed (allowing only saprotrophic fungal production) and open (allowing mycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal production) cores using a factorial design of soil matrices (acid‐washed sand vs native) and fertilization treatments (control vs nitrogen (N)) in a longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris ) plantation. • In native soils, the ectomycorrhizal to saprotrophic fungal biomass signal was strong and consistent facilitating the assessment of external mycelia production, which was 300% higher than corresponding rates in acid‐washed sand and inversely correlated with soil N. • These results demonstrate the efficacy and importance of using native soil as the in‐growth matrix to measure ectomycorrhizal fungi external mycelia production in field settings.