Occurrence and types of ectomycorrhizae present in seedlings of Picea glehnii in a natural forest in Hokkaido

Abstract

Picea glehnii seedlings whose ages ranged from 2 to 5 years and which were growing in aP. glehnii-Abies sachalinensis natural forest where the surface had been scarified 6 years before, were assessed for the occurrence and types of ectomycorrhizae. Based on the macro- and microscopic characteristics, 34 types of ectomycorrhizae were classified. The basidiomycetes were clearly dominant and it was common to observe more than one type of mycorrhiza occurring in the same root tip. The diversity of mycorrhizal types and the presence of at least one type of ectomycorrhiza in a single seedling, observed in this work, indicate a very dynamic system of mycorrhizal formation inP. glehnii seedlings, which allows them to survive and grow in a forest surface subjected to soil scarification.