| Abstract Detail
MSA - Ecology/Pathology Hasselquist, Niles [1], Douhan, Greg W. [2], Allen, Mike [1]. Combining Molecular Techniques and Stable Isotopes to Determine the Ecological Role of Boletaceae Sporocarps in a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest. Despite their prominent role for tree growth, studies on ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi have focused almost exclusively on temperature and boreal ecosystems. We used both molecular
techniques and stable isotopes to better understand the ecological role (mycorrhizal versus saprotrophic) of putative EM sporocarps in a hyper-diverse, seasonally dry tropical forest. In general, most sporocarps exhibited Xerocomoid morphology. Based on sequences from the internal transcribed space (ITS) region, we identified five taxa apparently new to the sequence database (four Xerocomus spp. and one Boletaceae sp.). We also identified seven putative EM fungal taxa colonizing plant roots. The majority of EM fungal taxa colonizing plant roots belonged to the phylum Ascomycota. We found no similarities when comparing sequences from Boletaceae sporocarps to sequences of EM taxa colonizing plant roots. Xerocomus sporocarps were significantly enriched in 15N and depleted in 13C compared to co-occurring saprotrophic fungi, suggesting a mycorrhizal status for the Xerocomus species. Results from this study demonstrate EM functioning in a seasonally dry tropical forest on the Northern Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.
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1 - University of California Riverside, Center for Conservation Biology, Riverside , CA, 92521, USA
2 - University of California Riverside, Plant Pathology and Microbiology, Riverside, CA, 92521, USA
Keywords:
Xerocomus
Ectomycorrhizae
Yucatan Peninsula
13C
15N.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P2
Location: Event Tent/Cliff Lodge
Date: Tuesday, July 28th, 2009
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: P2EP032
Abstract ID:652 |
