Genet Distribution of Ectomycorrhizal Fungus Suillus grevillei Populations in Two Larix kaempferi Stands over Two Years

Suillus grevillei

in two Larix kaempferi stands was determined over two years by inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) polymorphism analysis using primers, (GTG)₅, (GCC)₅ and (GACA)₄. Thirty-five genets were identified from 67 sporocarps at the older stand (stand A in which the distribution of S. grevillei genet in 1997 was analyzed previously) in 1998, and 14 genets from 52 sporocarps at the younger stand (stand B) in 1997 and 1998. The characteristics of S. grevillei genets in stand A in 1998 were similar to those in 1997. A single genet was represented by 1.8 and 3.7 sporocarps on average in stands A and B, respectively. In stand A, 42 out of 61 genets, i.e., about 70% were represented by individual sporocarps compared to five out of 14 genets, i.e., about 35% in stand B. The largest and the average genet sizes was 6.8 m and less than 1 m in stand A, and 11 m and 2.3 m in stand B, respectively. A t-test showed the genet size in stand A to be significantly smaller than that in stand B. The above results indicate that the smaller genets of the S. grevillei population in stand A might be due to environmental conditions not genetic traits specific to this species. Observations over two years showed that although some genets formed sporocarps in both 1997 and 1998, many formed sporocarps only in one of the two years. Emerging positions of sporocarps in 1997 and 1998, which belonged to the same genet, were similar but not identical, about 2 m apart, suggesting mobility in the subterranean parts of ECM fungal genets.