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Ectomycorrhiza of Kobresia myosuroides at a primary successional glacier forefront

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Abstract

The bog sedge Kobresia myosuroides is among the first ectomycorrhizal (EM) plants forming dense pads on receding glacier forefronts of the Austrian Alps. This is the only Cyperaceae species known to form EM. To date, little is known about fungal species involved in these EM associations. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to detect EM fungal communities of K. myosuroides (1) by describing mycorrhizal morphotypes (MT) and (2) by identifying the mycobionts by rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Furthermore, seasonal dynamics of Kobresia mycobionts were investigated. Sampling was performed in all four seasons (also under snow cover) during the years 2005 and 2006 at the Rotmoos glacier forefront, a well-characterized alpine primary successional habitat in the Austrian alps (2,300 m above sea level). The degree of EM infection of K. myosuroides roots was high (95%). Ten MTs were described and sequences of 18 fungal taxa were obtained. This was the highest mycobiont diversity ever reported for this plant. Cenococcum geophilum was the most abundant mycobiont (37–46%) and shared dominancy with Sebacina incrustans (16–44%) and Tomentella spp. (7–37%). Tomentella (including Thelephora) was the most species-rich mycobiont genus with five taxa, followed by Cortinarius, Inocybe, and Sebacina with two taxa each and one Hebeloma species. Other ascomycete mycobionts beside C. geophilum were Helvella sp., Lecythophora sp., and one Pezizales species. Due to high interannual differences in the EM fungal community, no significant seasonal changes could be detected. The importance of fungal mycobionts in alpine habitats is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financed by the FWF within the project “Seasonal dynamics of underground ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in an alpine primary successional habitat” project number P17910-B03. We thank M. Bacher, I. Oberkofler, R. Kuhnert, and V. Schmidt for their assistance with sampling.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology, University Innsbruck, Technikerstr. 25, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria

    Oliver Mühlmann & Ursula Peintner

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  1. Oliver Mühlmann
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  2. Ursula Peintner
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Correspondence to Oliver Mühlmann.

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Supplementary Fig. S1

Relative abundances (in percent) of K. myosuroides ectomycorrhizal main morphotypes (MT) identified as C. geophilum, S. incrustans, and Tomentella spp, all other MTs pooled, and senescent root tips are presented for each season (spring, summer, fall, winter) of both sampling years (2005 and 2006) separately (GIF 60 kb)

High resolution image file (TIF 4.35 MB)

Supplementary Table S1

Mean temperature (T; °C) and moisture (relative values) 2 weeks before the samplings spring, summer, fall, and winter in 2005 and 2006. Values differing significantly between the years are marked with an asterisk (DOC 27 KB)

Supplementary Table S2

Main distinguishing features of K. myosuroides morphotypes (MT): descriptions of color, axis form, mantle surface, emanating elements, and mantle layer. Genera or species names for identified MTs are given (n.d.—not determined) (DOC 36 KB)

Supplementary Table S3

Abundances of K. myosuroides morphotypes (MT) at the Rotmoos glacier forefront in the sampling years 2005 and 2006. Samples are sorted in the following order: years, season, and plot (K1 to K5). MTs including senescent root tips (senescent) and nonmycorrhizal root tips (non-myc) are sorted in order of descending abundances in all samples pooled (DOC 117 KB)

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Mühlmann, O., Peintner, U. Ectomycorrhiza of Kobresia myosuroides at a primary successional glacier forefront. Mycorrhiza 18, 355–362 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-008-0188-z

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