Sporocarp δ15N and use of inorganic and organic nitrogen in vitro differ among host-specific suilloid fungi associated with high elevation five-needle pines

Abstract

δ15N and use of inorganic and organic nitrogen in vitro differ among host-specific suilloid fungi associated with high elevation five-needle pines."

Designer Niches Promote Seedling Survival in Forest Restoration: A 7-Year Study of Whitebark Pine (Pinus albicaulis) Seedlings in Waterton Lakes National Park

“…We do know that whitebark pine seedlings colonized with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus sibiricus promote nitrogen uptake and biomass increases in seedlings planted in burn soil devoid of ectomycorrhizal fungi [52,53]. Asebrook et al [53] found that while survival was not enhanced on some sites in Glacier National Park by inoculation, height and stem diameter (not assessed here) increased with inoculation. Trusty and Cripps [54] found that over 90% of whitebark pine seedlings planted in a severe burn were colonized with ectomycorrhizal fungi after five years, however host specific fungi such as Suillus were severely reduced in comparison to the unburned adjacent site.…”

“…Benefits might be better tested on larger, more continuous and severe burns, as these can be devoid of ectomycorrhizal fungi [52]. We do know that whitebark pine seedlings colonized with the ectomycorrhizal fungus Suillus sibiricus promote nitrogen uptake and biomass increases in seedlings planted in burn soil devoid of ectomycorrhizal fungi [52,53]. Asebrook et al [53] found that while survival was not enhanced on some sites in Glacier National Park by inoculation, height and stem diameter (not assessed here) increased with inoculation.…”

Scorched Earth: Suillus colonization of Pinus albicaulis seedlings planted in wildfire-impacted soil affects seedling biomass, foliar nutrient content, and isotope signatures

“…In the same cited study, Suillus colonized roots to a greater extent when the main supply of nitrogen was ammonium (NH 4 + ) rather than nitrate, and foliar δ 15 N was lower with ammonium (Hobbie et al 2008). Suillus species can metabolize a range of nitrogen sources including ammonium, nitrate, amino acids, dipeptides, and proteins, and this has been shown to be true for S. sibiricus (= S. americanus) as well (Keller 1996;Nygren et al 2008;Antibus et al 2018). While nitrogen levels were considered low in our P. albicaulis-Suillus system, δ 15 N values were comparable to those of high nitrogen treatments in other studies.…”

“…Few studies have documented how ectomycorrhizal colonization affects nutrient content or isotope abundance in seedlings in the greenhouse. Suillus species are particularly involved in the uptake of nitrogen (Keller 1996;Nygren et al 2008;Antibus et al 2018), and are prime candidates for exploring the dynamics of N and C flow in ectomycorrhizal systems. In our experiment, the concentration of foliar nitrogen in whitebark pine seedlings colonized by Suillus was 18% lower in sterilized soil and 8% lower in unsterilized soil compared to uncolonized controls; the actual foliar nitrogen concentrations were around 1.53-1.57% after six months.…”

“…The physiological processes underlying enhanced growth from ectomycorrhizal colonization such as those that involve nutrient uptake, nutrient flow within seedlings, and transfer of compounds between organisms have not been well examined in the greenhouse. Suillus species are particularly involved in the uptake of nitrogen and make good candidates for this kind of study (Keller 1996;Nygren et al 2008;Cripps and Antibus 2011;Antibus et al 2018). Suillus mycorrhization has been shown to affect various measurements of nitrogen in needles or shoots of pine seedlings in the nursery and greenhouse (Heumader 1992;Colpaert et al 1996;Kohzu et al 2000;Rincón et al 2007).…”