Occurrence of vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae in Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla seedlings grown in Oregon Coast Range soils

Abstract

 Vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM) were common in seedlings of Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla grown in a greenhouse soil bioassay in soils collected from the Oregon Coast Range. Although root samples were heavily colonized by ectomycorrhizal fungi (EM), VAM colonization was observed in the cortical cells of both secondary and feeder roots. Vesicles, arbuscules, and hyphae typical of VAM occurred in 48% of 61 P. menziesii and 25% of 57 T. heterophylla seedlings. The ecological significance of VAM presence in the Pinaceae, as well as interactions among VAM, EM, and the plant host, deserve future investigation.