Community structure and dynamics of ectomycorrhizal fungi in a dipterocarp forest fragment and plantation in Thailand

<p><b><i>Background</i></b>: Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) associations have been reported with trees of the plant family Dipterocarpaceae. We hypothesised that a dipterocarp forest fragment, with more host species, would yield a higher diversity of associated EcM fungal species than that of a <i>Dipterocarpus alatus</i> monoculture plantation.</p> <p><b><i>Aims</i></b>: To examine the above- and below-ground EcM community structure of a dry dipterocarp forest fragment and a <i>D. alatus</i> plantation in Thailand.</p> <p><b><i>Methods</i></b>: Sporocarps were collected and identified, and EcM root tips were collected in the dry and wet seasons and identified by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism and internal transcribed spacer sequencing.</p> <p><b><i>Results</i></b>: Higher EcM fungal diversity was observed in the dry dipterocarp forest fragment than in the <i>D. alatus</i> plantation, with a larger number of species found in the wet seasons than the dry seasons. Sporocarp species richness was greater than root-tip EcM richness. Different dominant EcM taxa were observed in the above- and below-ground communities.</p> <p><b><i>Conclusions</i></b>: Our results suggest that host tree diversity may explain the greater EcM fungal diversity in the dry dipterocarp forest fragment than the <i>D. alatus</i> monoculture plantation. Seasonal dynamics also influences the composition of the EcM communities, with different dominant taxa and relative abundance in the dry and wet seasons. Further research would be of great help in providing useful information for management of dipterocarp forests as well as restoration of disturbed landscapes.</p