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Quercus rubra-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of disturbed urban sites and mature forests

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Abstract

The presence and quality of the belowground mycorrhizal fungal community could greatly influence plant community structure and host species response. This study tests whether mycorrhizal fungal communities in areas highly impacted by anthropogenic disturbance and urbanization are less species rich or exhibit lower host root colonization rates when compared to those of less disturbed systems. Using a soil bioassay, we sampled the ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) communities associating with Quercus rubra (northern red oak) seedlings in soil collected from seven sites: two mature forest reference sites and five urban sites of varying levels of disturbance. Morphological and polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses of fungi colonizing root tips revealed that colonization rates and fungal species richness were significantly lower on root systems of seedlings grown in disturbed site soils. Analysis of similarity showed that EMF community composition was not significantly different among several urban site soils but did differ significantly between mature forest sites and all but one urban site. We identified a suite of fungal species that occurred across several urban sites. Lack of a diverse community of belowground mutualists could be a constraint on urban plant community development, especially of late-successional woodlands. Analysis of urban EMF communities can add to our understanding of urban plant community structure and should be addressed during ecological assessment before pragmatic decisions to restore habitats are framed.

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Acknowledgments

This research was made possible by funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the New Jersey Mycological Association. Thank you to Lena Struwe, Jean Molina, and Sasha Eisenman for access to lab space and procedural advice. We appreciate Peter Morin’s input on statistical analyses. Thank you to Duke Farms, Helyar Woods, Greenbelt Native Plant Center, and the US EPA Edison facility for site access. Discussions with Blake Mathys, Victor Medore, Carrie Norin, and Elena Tartaglia were very helpful. Comments and suggestions from two anonymous reviewers greatly improved this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, 08901, USA

    Amy S. Karpati, Steven N. Handel & John Dighton

  2. Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY-ESF, Syracuse, NY, 13210, USA

    Thomas R. Horton

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  1. Amy S. Karpati
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  2. Steven N. Handel
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Correspondence to Amy S. Karpati.

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Karpati, A.S., Handel, S.N., Dighton, J. et al. Quercus rubra-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal communities of disturbed urban sites and mature forests. Mycorrhiza 21, 537–547 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-011-0362-6

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