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Early-successional ectomycorrhizal fungi effectively support extracellular enzyme activities and seedling nitrogen accumulation in mature forests

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Abstract

After stand-replacing disturbance, regenerating conifer seedlings become colonized by different ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF) than the locally adapted EMF communities present on seedlings in mature forests. We studied whether EMF species that colonized subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) seedlings in clearcuts differed from those that colonized seedlings in adjacent mature forests with respect to mycorrhizoplane extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs) and N status of the seedlings. We tested two alternate hypotheses: (1) that EEAs would differ between the two EMF communities, with higher activities associated with forest-origin communities, and (2) that acclimation to soil environment was considerable enough that EEAs would be determined primarily by the soil type in which the ectomycorrhizas were growing. Naturally colonized fir seedlings were reciprocally transplanted between clearcuts and forests, carrying different EMF communities with them. EEAs were influenced more by destination environment than by EMF community. EEAs were as high in early-successional as in late-successional communities in both destination environments. Buds of clearcut-origin seedlings had the same or higher N contents as forest seedlings after a growing season in either environment. These results indicate that (i) symbiotic EMF and/or their associated microbial communities demonstrate substantial ability to acclimate to new field environments; (ii) the ability to produce organic matter-degrading enzymes is not a trait that necessarily distinguishes early- and late-successional EMF communities in symbiosis; (iii) early-successional EMF are as capable of supporting seedling N accumulation in forest soils as late-successional EMF; and (iv) disturbed ecosystems where early-successional EMF are present should have high resilience for organic matter degradation.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant to MJ. The authors are very grateful for technical and field assistance from Clive Dawson, Aaron Godin, Monika Gorzlak, Stéphane LeBihan, Logan Markaroff, Sheri Maxwell, Brian Pickles, Enav Shalev, Valerie Ward, Shayle Weibe, and Matthew Whiteside. Daniel Durall and John Klironomos provided helpful suggestions during the design of this study. Jason Pither provided statistical advice. The manuscript benefitted from the input of several anonymous reviewers.

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  1. Biology Department, University of British Columbia, Okanagan campus, Sci 385 – 1177 Research Road, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada

    Bailey A. Nicholson & Melanie D. Jones

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  1. Bailey A. Nicholson
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Nicholson, B.A., Jones, M.D. Early-successional ectomycorrhizal fungi effectively support extracellular enzyme activities and seedling nitrogen accumulation in mature forests. Mycorrhiza 27, 247–260 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-016-0747-7

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