Pub Date : 2025-03-08DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101417
Yoran Le Strat , Nicolas Ruiz , Paul Déléris , Thibaut Robiou du Pont , Samuel Bertrand , Stella Debaets , Gaëtan Burgaud , Justine Dumay
This study presents the first exploratory analysis of the cultivable fungal communities associated with the red alga Palmaria palmata and their temporal dynamics over one year. The fungal isolation strategy employed two culture media - a non-specific Wickerham medium and a specific “P. palmata” medium - coupled with two incubation temperatures (12 °C and 27 °C), and a differentiation between epiphytic and endophytic fungi. This experimental design yielded 298 fungal isolates. Through morphological observations and molecular techniques, 142 fungal taxa were identified. The cultivable fungal diversity associated with P. palmata was dominated by members of the phylum Ascomycota, with the classes Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes, and the genera Cladosporium, Penicillium and Aspergillus emerging as the dominant groups. This fungal diversity exhibited significant seasonal variation, with culture conditions - including incubation temperature and culture medium composition - influencing the diversity and composition of the cultivated fungi obtained.
{"title":"An exploratory study of species richness and dynamics in the cultivable mycobiota of Palmaria palmata","authors":"Yoran Le Strat , Nicolas Ruiz , Paul Déléris , Thibaut Robiou du Pont , Samuel Bertrand , Stella Debaets , Gaëtan Burgaud , Justine Dumay","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents the first exploratory analysis of the cultivable fungal communities associated with the red alga <em>Palmaria palmata</em> and their temporal dynamics over one year. The fungal isolation strategy employed two culture media - a non-specific Wickerham medium and a specific “<em>P. palmata”</em> medium - coupled with two incubation temperatures (12 °C and 27 °C), and a differentiation between epiphytic and endophytic fungi. This experimental design yielded 298 fungal isolates. Through morphological observations and molecular techniques, 142 fungal taxa were identified. The cultivable fungal diversity associated with <em>P. palmata</em> was dominated by members of the phylum Ascomycota, with the classes Dothideomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Sordariomycetes, and the genera <em>Cladosporium</em>, <em>Penicillium</em> and <em>Aspergillus</em> emerging as the dominant groups. This fungal diversity exhibited significant seasonal variation, with culture conditions - including incubation temperature and culture medium composition - influencing the diversity and composition of the cultivated fungi obtained.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101417"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143580242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-03-06DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101418
Rahul Unni , Onur Erk Kavlak , Eva H. Stukenbrock , Primrose J. Boynton
Endosymbioses have profound impacts on eukaryotic organisms. However, symbiont effects on host fitness in natural conditions are difficult to study, especially for microbial hosts. We used killer viruses (intracellular satellite viruses that cause host cells to produce antifungal toxins) and the wild yeast Saccharomyces paradoxus to study a symbiont's effect on its host's fitness in oak litter. We cured hosts of naturally-occurring killer viruses and compared killer and cured individuals' fitnesses in laboratory medium and oak litter using a unique field chamber design. In the laboratory, the impact of virus loss on host fitness could be positive, negative, or neutral, depending on host identity. Trends in the forest were similar to those in the lab, although only overall strain fitness differences were significant and curing impacts differed between the forest and laboratory. These results demonstrate the importance of incorporating environmental context into studies of host-symbiont interactions.
{"title":"Fitness effects of killer virus infection on wild Saccharomyces paradoxus","authors":"Rahul Unni , Onur Erk Kavlak , Eva H. Stukenbrock , Primrose J. Boynton","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Endosymbioses have profound impacts on eukaryotic organisms. However, symbiont effects on host fitness in natural conditions are difficult to study, especially for microbial hosts. We used killer viruses (intracellular satellite viruses that cause host cells to produce antifungal toxins) and the wild yeast <em>Saccharomyces paradoxus</em> to study a symbiont's effect on its host's fitness in oak litter. We cured hosts of naturally-occurring killer viruses and compared killer and cured individuals' fitnesses in laboratory medium and oak litter using a unique field chamber design. In the laboratory, the impact of virus loss on host fitness could be positive, negative, or neutral, depending on host identity. Trends in the forest were similar to those in the lab, although only overall strain fitness differences were significant and curing impacts differed between the forest and laboratory. These results demonstrate the importance of incorporating environmental context into studies of host-symbiont interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101418"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143563178","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Understanding the factors influencing mushroom occurrence is essential for advancing mushroom ecology and informing forest management practices. In this study, we hypothesized and demonstrated that the daily number of Tricholoma matsutake fruiting bodies is determined by the cumulative effect size of the antecedent precipitation index (API) up to the occurrence date. We employed a Bayesian approach with a state-space model for the analysis. Our results demonstrated a significant relationship between the number of fruiting bodies and API, with the cumulative effect size of API accurately predicting the number of fruiting bodies (R2 = 0.89). Furthermore, the effect size on fruiting body number fluctuated daily, peaking 12 days before occurrence, and was 4.14 times that on the occurrence day and 19.98 times that 30 days prior at an API of 20 mm. These findings highlight the crucial role of precipitation in T. matsutake fruiting.
{"title":"The cumulative effects of precipitation determine the occurrence of Tricholoma matsutake fruiting bodies","authors":"Yuuki Tsunoda , Ayu Narita , Kei Kitamura , Seiki Gisusi","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101415","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the factors influencing mushroom occurrence is essential for advancing mushroom ecology and informing forest management practices. In this study, we hypothesized and demonstrated that the daily number of <em>Tricholoma matsutake</em> fruiting bodies is determined by the cumulative effect size of the antecedent precipitation index (<em>API</em>) up to the occurrence date. We employed a Bayesian approach with a state-space model for the analysis. Our results demonstrated a significant relationship between the number of fruiting bodies and <em>API</em>, with the cumulative effect size of <em>API</em> accurately predicting the number of fruiting bodies (<em>R</em><sup>2</sup> = 0.89). Furthermore, the effect size on fruiting body number fluctuated daily, peaking 12 days before occurrence, and was 4.14 times that on the occurrence day and 19.98 times that 30 days prior at an <em>API</em> of 20 mm. These findings highlight the crucial role of precipitation in <em>T. matsutake</em> fruiting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101415"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101416
Carrie Andrew
Many fungi have environmentally-based fruiting triggers, which requires their quantification within the context of climate change. Species' optima were modelled for 127 commonly recorded European taxa for climate and weather conditions that were associated with their fruiting occurrences. Trends were reported based on their land-use biome associations, and attributes of species’ nutritional modes and the substrates they fruit from. The optimal fruiting conditions for over one third of the species demonstrated likely sensitivity to climate warming, whose optima predominantly clustered in the boreal forest and tundra, i.e., in regions most in peril for further warming. Niche breadths were narrower for terrestrially fruiting species, which suggested that daily weather perturbations will cause greater knock-on effects to terrestrial than wood-inhabiting taxa. All species were sensitive to extremes in daily recorded temperatures. These results add to the mounting evidence that biodiversity in high-latitude regions is increasingly threatened from warming temperatures.
{"title":"Not always optimal: Fungal fruiting triggers indicate climate sensitivity in cooler regions","authors":"Carrie Andrew","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101416","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101416","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Many fungi have environmentally-based fruiting triggers, which requires their quantification within the context of climate change. Species' optima were modelled for 127 commonly recorded European taxa for climate and weather conditions that were associated with their fruiting occurrences. Trends were reported based on their land-use biome associations, and attributes of species’ nutritional modes and the substrates they fruit from. The optimal fruiting conditions for over one third of the species demonstrated likely sensitivity to climate warming, whose optima predominantly clustered in the boreal forest and tundra, i.e., in regions most in peril for further warming. Niche breadths were narrower for terrestrially fruiting species, which suggested that daily weather perturbations will cause greater knock-on effects to terrestrial than wood-inhabiting taxa. All species were sensitive to extremes in daily recorded temperatures. These results add to the mounting evidence that biodiversity in high-latitude regions is increasingly threatened from warming temperatures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101416"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143454924","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-13DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101410
Takahiko Koizumi , Kazuhide Nara
Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations are fundamental for seedling establishment in many forest ecosystems. However, it is unclear how spatial and environmental factors affect the structure of ECM fungal communities at the seedling establishment stage. Here, we investigated how spatial and environmental factors affect the composition of ECM fungal communities on naturally established seedlings of Pinus pumila in nine ice-age relict forests and compared the results with those of mature shrubs that we previously characterized. ECM fungi on field-collected seedling roots were identified using sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Redundancy analysis revealed that climatic factors accounted for the largest variation in ECM fungal community composition in naturally established seedlings (40%). The difference in host stages (seedlings/mature trees) in ECM fungal communities was larger than those of spatial, soil, and climate factors at the regional scale. Our results indicate that the ECM fungi that facilitate seedling establishment are significantly different from those on mature trees and are independently affected by climatic factors at the regional scale.
{"title":"Strong climatic effects on ectomycorrhizal fungal communities at seedling establishment stage in ice-age relict forests","authors":"Takahiko Koizumi , Kazuhide Nara","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101410","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101410","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associations are fundamental for seedling establishment in many forest ecosystems. However, it is unclear how spatial and environmental factors affect the structure of ECM fungal communities at the seedling establishment stage. Here, we investigated how spatial and environmental factors affect the composition of ECM fungal communities on naturally established seedlings of <em>Pinus pumila</em> in nine ice-age relict forests and compared the results with those of mature shrubs that we previously characterized. ECM fungi on field-collected seedling roots were identified using sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS). Redundancy analysis revealed that climatic factors accounted for the largest variation in ECM fungal community composition in naturally established seedlings (40%). The difference in host stages (seedlings/mature trees) in ECM fungal communities was larger than those of spatial, soil, and climate factors at the regional scale. Our results indicate that the ECM fungi that facilitate seedling establishment are significantly different from those on mature trees and are independently affected by climatic factors at the regional scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"75 ","pages":"Article 101410"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143403071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-10DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101414
Miroslav Kolařík , Eva Stodůlková , Soňa Kajzrová , Jaroslav Semerád , Jan Hubert , Marek Kuzma , Miroslav Šulc , Ivana Císařová , Andrej Jašica , Jan-Peer Wennrich , Jiří Hulcr , Miroslav Flieger
Ambrosia fungi colonize dead trees, providing nutrition for ambrosia beetles. A key aspect of this symbiosis is the ability of fungi to colonize and dominate the wood around the beetle tunnels. Hypotheses for these dynamics include active beetle management, fungal inoculation priority, and the chemical ecology of the fungus. The ecological role of allelochemicals produced by ambrosia fungi is unknown. This study presents an analysis of secondary metabolites from Geosmithia eupagioceri (Ascomycota: Hypocreales). Eight extracellular compounds were identified: 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid, several hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPA), 4-HPA methyl ester, tyrosol, and thymine. Most compounds show cross-taxon activity, suppressing the growth of bacteria, fungi, a nematode, and a mite. We also point out that these compounds also have potential to modulate the physiology of their producer, the beetle host and associated microbes through synergism.
{"title":"Secondary metabolites and their impact on symbiotic interactions in the ambrosia fungus Geosmithia eupagioceri","authors":"Miroslav Kolařík , Eva Stodůlková , Soňa Kajzrová , Jaroslav Semerád , Jan Hubert , Marek Kuzma , Miroslav Šulc , Ivana Císařová , Andrej Jašica , Jan-Peer Wennrich , Jiří Hulcr , Miroslav Flieger","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ambrosia fungi colonize dead trees, providing nutrition for ambrosia beetles. A key aspect of this symbiosis is the ability of fungi to colonize and dominate the wood around the beetle tunnels. Hypotheses for these dynamics include active beetle management, fungal inoculation priority, and the chemical ecology of the fungus. The ecological role of allelochemicals produced by ambrosia fungi is unknown. This study presents an analysis of secondary metabolites from <em>Geosmithia eupagioceri</em> (Ascomycota: Hypocreales). Eight extracellular compounds were identified: 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furancarboxylic acid, several hydroxybenzoic acid derivatives, 4-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (4-HPA), 4-HPA methyl ester, tyrosol, and thymine. Most compounds show cross-taxon activity, suppressing the growth of bacteria, fungi, a nematode, and a mite. We also point out that these compounds also have potential to modulate the physiology of their producer, the beetle host and associated microbes through synergism.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101414"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143379038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101409
Henni Ylänne , Carles Castaño , Karina E. Clemmensen
Climate warming is currently expanding the low-temperature-limit for tree survival – the treeline – further into arctic and alpine areas. This may enable the encroachment of trees into previously treeless areas if no other limitations of tree growth prevail. As trees benefit from the activities of both symbiotic and saprotrophic soil fungi, and vice versa, concurrent range expansion of trees and fungi may facilitate forest development, alter ecosystem nutrient and carbon balances and potentially lead to an ecosystem tipping-point with altered climate feedbacks. The roles of fungi in vegetation shifts and subsequent climate feedbacks are poorly characterized. In this minireview, we outline potential roles of soil fungi in tree colonization and carbon balance and discuss the fungal-driven soil processes that may halt, precede or ultimately cause abrupt changes in treeline ecotones.
{"title":"Fungi in treeline ecotones – Halting or causing abrupt ecosystem change?","authors":"Henni Ylänne , Carles Castaño , Karina E. Clemmensen","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2024.101409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate warming is currently expanding the low-temperature-limit for tree survival – the treeline – further into arctic and alpine areas. This may enable the encroachment of trees into previously treeless areas if no other limitations of tree growth prevail. As trees benefit from the activities of both symbiotic and saprotrophic soil fungi, and vice versa, concurrent range expansion of trees and fungi may facilitate forest development, alter ecosystem nutrient and carbon balances and potentially lead to an ecosystem tipping-point with altered climate feedbacks. The roles of fungi in vegetation shifts and subsequent climate feedbacks are poorly characterized. In this minireview, we outline potential roles of soil fungi in tree colonization and carbon balance and discuss the fungal-driven soil processes that may halt, precede or ultimately cause abrupt changes in treeline ecotones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101409"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143242267","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-24DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101411
Somia Afzal , Helen F. Nahrung , Simon A. Lawson , R. Andrew Hayes
The eastern five-spined bark beetle (Ips grandicollis) is an invasive pine pest in Australia. This beetle is associated with a community of symbiotic ophiostomatoid fungi, including Ceratocystiopsis sp., Ophiostoma ips, Sporothrix pseudoabietina and the recently described Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis. Fungal volatile organic compounds (VOC) can mediate fungal-insect-host interactions, including host finding. We used solid phase microextraction to examine variation in VOC profiles of beetle-associated ophiostomatoid fungi over time and how these profiles are influenced by supplemental host monoterpenes (α- and β-pinene). We found significant differences in VOC profiles of four-day-old fungal cultures among the four fungal species. Twenty-one known volatile compounds were identified up to eighteen days following inoculation. One culture of each of Ophiostoma ips and Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis released cis-verbenol when grown on media amended with (−)-α-pinene. However, verbenone was only released from Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis when grown on media amended with (−)-α-pinene. These compounds are components of aggregation and anti-aggregation pheromones of I. grandicollis, respectively. Our results suggest that ophiostomatoid fungi could contribute to the chemical ecology of I. grandicollis, dependent on time and environmental factors such as growth conditions since colonization.
{"title":"Volatilome of Australian Ips grandicollis-associated ophiostomatoid fungi","authors":"Somia Afzal , Helen F. Nahrung , Simon A. Lawson , R. Andrew Hayes","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101411","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101411","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The eastern five-spined bark beetle (<em>Ips grandicollis</em>) is an invasive pine pest in Australia. This beetle is associated with a community of symbiotic ophiostomatoid fungi, including <em>Ceratocystiopsis</em> sp., <em>Ophiostoma ips, Sporothrix pseudoabietina</em> and the recently described <em>Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis.</em> Fungal volatile organic compounds (VOC) can mediate fungal-insect-host interactions, including host finding. We used solid phase microextraction to examine variation in VOC profiles of beetle-associated ophiostomatoid fungi over time and how these profiles are influenced by supplemental host monoterpenes (α- and β-pinene). We found significant differences in VOC profiles of four-day-old fungal cultures among the four fungal species. Twenty-one known volatile compounds were identified up to eighteen days following inoculation. One culture of each of <em>Ophiostoma ips</em> and <em>Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis</em> released <em>cis</em>-verbenol when grown on media amended with (−)-α-pinene. However, verbenone was only released from <em>Graphilbum ipis-grandicollis</em> when grown on media amended with (−)-α-pinene. These compounds are components of aggregation and anti-aggregation pheromones of <em>I. grandicollis</em>, respectively. Our results suggest that ophiostomatoid fungi could contribute to the chemical ecology of <em>I. grandicollis</em>, dependent on time and environmental factors such as growth conditions since colonization.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101411"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143179016","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101413
Mark A. Anthony
Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are ubiquitous tree-associated symbionts aiding plant nutrition and growth in forests from the tropics to the boreal zone. They colonize tree roots and provide >70% of growth limiting nutrients, but with >10,000 EMF species, tree growth rates may vary depending on the composition and diversity of associated EMF communities as a consequence of the diversity of fungal functions and niches. While ample research demonstrates that EMF species differentially influence host plant growth in experimental inoculation studies, disparate insights from experimental and observational studies in the field must be integrated to evaluate the ecological relevance of EMF species, compositional, and biodiversity differences. In this short review, I evaluate whether EMF species identity, composition, and richness affect tree growth during early plant life stages. I first show that EMF species often, but not always, differentially effect seedling and sapling growth, both in the greenhouse and under field condition where other factors determine plant growth, such as variation in soil fertility and climate. Effects of EMF species richness on plant growth are context dependent, and stimulated tree growth in 37% of the cases identified (11/30 cases). Evidence to date suggests that differences in EMF composition more than richness affect tree growth. Limitations of current experimental studies and challenges interpreting observational patterns make it difficult to tease apart causality and directionality, but I provide a list of possible solutions for future research to address outstanding questions. Understanding how mycorrhizal biodiversity affects plant growth is not only an important frontier in ecological research, it also has implications for embedding fungi into forest management, conservation, and ecosystem restoration agendas.
{"title":"Does ectomycorrhizal fungal biodiversity affect tree growth?","authors":"Mark A. Anthony","doi":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101413","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.funeco.2025.101413","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) are ubiquitous tree-associated symbionts aiding plant nutrition and growth in forests from the tropics to the boreal zone. They colonize tree roots and provide >70% of growth limiting nutrients, but with >10,000 EMF species, tree growth rates may vary depending on the composition and diversity of associated EMF communities as a consequence of the diversity of fungal functions and niches. While ample research demonstrates that EMF species differentially influence host plant growth in experimental inoculation studies, disparate insights from experimental and observational studies in the field must be integrated to evaluate the ecological relevance of EMF species, compositional, and biodiversity differences. In this short review, I evaluate whether EMF species identity, composition, and richness affect tree growth during early plant life stages. I first show that EMF species often, but not always, differentially effect seedling and sapling growth, both in the greenhouse and under field condition where other factors determine plant growth, such as variation in soil fertility and climate. Effects of EMF species richness on plant growth are context dependent, and stimulated tree growth in 37% of the cases identified (11/30 cases). Evidence to date suggests that differences in EMF composition more than richness affect tree growth. Limitations of current experimental studies and challenges interpreting observational patterns make it difficult to tease apart causality and directionality, but I provide a list of possible solutions for future research to address outstanding questions. Understanding how mycorrhizal biodiversity affects plant growth is not only an important frontier in ecological research, it also has implications for embedding fungi into forest management, conservation, and ecosystem restoration agendas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55136,"journal":{"name":"Fungal Ecology","volume":"74 ","pages":"Article 101413"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143179015","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}