Independencia y ecología ectomicorrícica en varias especies de los géneros Quercus, Pinus y Eucalyptus

Se estudia la micorrización de varias especies de Quercus y Eucalyptus con hongos micorrícicos de los géneros Pisolithus, Krombholziella y Suillus. Se define el Período de Independencia Micorrícica, muy interesante en viveros forestales y de reproducción vegetal.Este período varía según especies y ecología y es mayor con semillas voluminosas que en las de semillas pequeñas.Mycorrization of some species of Quercus, Pinus and Eucalyptus with some mycorrhizal fungi: Pisolithus,Krombholziella and Sui//us is studied. Micorrhizal Independency Period is defined and results very interesting in forest nursery and tree farms. This period is different according to species and ecology and is larger in big seed species than in small seed species

Wild mushrooms in Ethiopia: A review and synthesis for future perspective

Aim of study: To review and provide all-purpose information about wild mushrooms in Ethiopia and to create awareness for conservation and use of mycological resources.Area of study: We focused mainly on Ethiopia, where information about wild mushrooms is scanty and their status is unknown under the rampant degradation of the habitats.Main results: We reviewed all relevant references related to wild mushrooms and their ecological niches, cultural practices and species used for cultivation as well as the anthropogenic factors affecting the conservation of fungal diversity.Research highlights: This review summarizes issues related to the diversity of wild mushrooms, the main ecological niches and their associated fungal species, and mushroom cultivation practices in Ethiopia. Moreover, threats and the need for future conservation of wild mushrooms in the country are also reported. This review paper can serve as base line information and indicator for further mycological studies in Ethiopia as well as in other developing countries with similar scenarios

Survey of macrofungal diversity and analysis of edaphic factors influencing the fungal community of church forests in Dry Afromontane areas of Northern Ethiopia

Producción CientíficaThe Dry Afromontane forests in Northern Ethiopia have been cleared for agriculture and reduced to small and isolated fragments. Most of these forests are located around church territories and are they called church forests. The church forests are known to be biodiversity islands and provide key ecosystem services to local communities. However, to date, the fungal resources of these forests have not been assessed and, therefore, the contribution of fungi to their conservation value is unknown. In 2019, we investigated the fungal diversity of three Dry Afromontane church forests. In each forest, we established nine permanent plots (2 m × 50 m), which were surveyed weekly during the rainy season to quantify the fungal diversity and sporocarp production levels. Explanatory variables were also analyzed to determine their relationship with macrofungal species composition. We collected 13,736 sporocarps corresponding to 188 taxa. Of these, 81% were saprotrophic and 14% were ectomycorrhizal. Sixty-eight species were edible, including economically valuable species such as Tricholoma and Termitomyces. This suggests that these fragmented forest systems could be managed to provide valuable non-timber forest products such as mushrooms and socioeconomic benefits for local communities. Although many species were present in all three forests, some were only found in one forest, highlighting the importance of conserving individual forests. The correlation of the Shannon diversity indices of the two communities showed a positive trend in spite of the lack of correlation between their richness. Macrofungal communities as a whole were influenced by edaphic, spatial and climate variables. This study indicates that church forests support a wide diversity of fungi, including potentially novel fungal species, and highlights the need for forest managers to consider the importance of fungi in forest ecosystem management and to provide habitats that will maintain fungal diversity and sporocarp production when planning conservation strategies.Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo (projects Sustfungi_Eth: 2017/ACDE/002094 and Mycoproed_Eth: 2019/ACDE/000921)Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional (grant PRX17/00315

The effects of fire severity on ectomycorrhizal colonization and morphometric features in Pinus pinaster Ait. seedlings

Aim of the study: Mycorrhizal fungi in Mediterranean forests play a key role in the complex process of recovery after wildfires. A broader understanding of an important pyrophytic species as Pinus pinaster and its fungal symbionts is thus necessary for forest restoration purposes. This study aims to assess the effects of ectomycorrhizal symbiosis on maritime pine seedlings and how fire severity affects fungal colonization ability.Area of study: Central Spain, in a Mediterranean region typically affected by wildfires dominated by Pinus pinaster, a species adapted to fire disturbance.Material and Methods: We studied P. pinaster root apexes from seedlings grown in soils collected one year after fire in undisturbed sites, sites moderately affected by fire and sites highly affected by fire. Natural ectomycorrhization was observed at the whole root system level as well as at two root vertical sections (0-10 cm and 10-20 cm). We also measured several morphometric traits (tap root length, shoot length, dry biomass of shoots and root/shoot ratio), which were used to test the influence of fire severity and soil chemistry upon them.Main results: Ectomycorrhizal colonization in undisturbed soils for total and separated root vertical sections was higher than in soils that had been affected by fire to some degree. Inversely, seedling vegetative size increased according to fire severity.Research highlights: Fire severity affected soil properties and mycorrhizal colonization one year after occurrence, thus affecting plant development. These findings can contribute to a better knowledge of the factors mediating successful establishment of P. pinaster in Mediterranean forests after wildfires.

Soil Fungal Communities under Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. Plantation Forests of Different Ages in Ethiopia

Producción CientíficaThe cultivation of plantation forests is likely to change the diversity and composition of soil fungal communities. At present, there is scant information about these communities in Ethiopian plantation forest systems. We assessed the soil fungal communities in Pinus patula Schiede ex Schltdl. & Cham. stands aged 5, 11, or 36-years-old using DNA metabarcoding of ITS2 amplicons. The ecological conditions of each plot, such as climate, altitude, and soil, were similar. Stand age and soil fertility influenced soil fungal species diversity and ecological guilds. In total, 2262 fungal operational taxonomic units were identified, of which 2% were ectomycorrhizal (ECM). The diversity of ECM fungi was higher in the 5 and 36-year-old stands than in the 11-year-old P. patula stands. Contrary to our expectations, a high level of ECM species diversity was observed in young stands, suggesting that these ECM species could compensate for the effects of nutrient stress in these stands. Our results also suggested that the abundance of plant pathogens and saprotrophs was not affected by stand age. This study provides baseline information about fungal community changes across tree stands of different ages in P. patula plantations in Ethiopia that are likely related to ECM fungi in young stands where relatively low soil fertility prevails. However, given that the plots were established in a single stand for each age class for each treatment, this study should be considered as a case study and, therefore, caution should be exercised when applying the conclusions to other stands.Agencia Española de Cooperación y Desarrollo Internacional - SUSTIFUNGI_ET (Sustfungi_Eth:2017/ACDE/002094)Ministerio de Educación y Cultura - Salvador de Madariaga grant agreement (PRX17/00315

Prescribed burning in spring or autumn did not affect the soil fungal community in Mediterranean Pinus nigra natural forests

Producción CientíficaIn the context of global change, wildfires are not only a threat but are also increasing in their severity in forest ecosystems worldwide, affecting and modifying vegetation, wildlife, and fungal dynamics. Mediterranean ecosystems are frequently affected by fire and prescribed burning is being increasingly used as a tool to reduce the risk and severity of wildfires. Although some of the effects of prescribed burning have been studied, the best moment to perform a prescribed burn to reduce the impact of fire on fungal communities has not been fully investigated. In this study, we analysed the effect of prescribed burning in two different seasons (spring and autumn) on soil fungi associated with natural Pinus nigra forests. Four years after prescribed burning was applied, our analyses showed that the total fungal richness and the composition of fungal communities in spring-burned, autumn-burned, and unburned control plots did not differ significantly. However, analyses of specific phyla and functional trophic groups did reveal some significant differences between spring- or autumn-burned plots and unburned control plots. Valuable edible fungi, which were not affected by the prescribed burning, were also found in the study area. Thus, our results suggest that prescribed burning is not only an interesting tool that could be used to reduce the risk of wildfire but also is compatible with the conservation of fungal communities, and could even promote specific valuable edible species, generating complementary incomes for the rural population. Although further studies are needed, our analyses suggest that the season (spring or autumn) in which prescribed burning is performed does not affect fungal conservation and, therefore, does not need to be one of the factors taken into consideration when selecting the most appropriate time to perform a prescribed burning.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (projects RTA2017-00042-C05-01 and PID2019-105188RB-I00

Yield models for predicting aboveground ectomycorrhizal fungal productivity in Pinus sylvestris and Pinus pinaster stands of northern Spain

Background Predictive models shed light on aboveground fungal yield dynamics and can assist decision-making in forestry by integrating this valuable non-wood forest product into forest management planning. However, the currently existing models are based on rather local data and, thus, there is a lack of predictive tools to monitor mushroom yields on larger scales. Results This work presents the first empirical models for predicting the annual yields of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms and related ecosystem services in Pinus sylvestris and Pinus pinaster stands in northern Spain, using a long-term dataset suitable to account for the combined effect of meteorological conditions and stand structure. Models were fitted for the following groups of fungi separately: all ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, edible mushrooms and marketed mushrooms. Our results show the influence of the weather variables (mainly precipitation) on mushroom yields as well as the relevance of the basal area of the forest stand that follows a right-skewed unimodal curve with maximum predicted yields at stand basal areas of 30–40?m2·ha-?1. Conclusion These models are the first empirical models for predicting the annual yields of ectomycorrhizal mushrooms in Pinus sylvestris and Pinus pinaster stands in northern Spain, being of the highest resolution developed to date and enable predictions of mushrooms productivity by taking into account weather conditions and forests’ location, composition and structure

Co-responses of bacterial and fungal communities to fire management treatments in Mediterranean pyrophytic ecosystems

Producción CientíficaCistus scrublands are pyrophytic ecosystems and occur widely across Mediterranean regions. Management of these scrublands is critical to prevent major disturbances, such as recurring wildfires. This is because management appears to compromise the synergies necessary for forest health and the provision of ecosystem services. Furthermore, it supports high microbial diversity, opening questions of how forest management practices impact belowground associated diversity as research related to this issue is scarce. This study aims to investigate the effects of different fire prevention treatments and site history on bacterial and fungi co-response and co-occurrence patterns over a fire-risky scrubland ecosystem. Two different site histories were studied by applying three different fire prevention treatments and samples were analyzed by amplification and sequencing of ITS2 and 16S rDNA for fungi and bacteria, respectively. The data revealed that site history, especially regarding fire occurrence, strongly influenced the microbial community. Young burnt areas tended to have a more homogeneous and lower microbial diversity, suggesting environmental filtering to a heat-resistant community. In comparison, young clearing history also showed a significant impact on the fungal community but not on the bacteria. Some bacteria genera were efficient predictors of fungal diversity and richness. For instance, Ktedonobacter and Desertibacter were a predictor of the presence of the edible mycorrhizal bolete Boletus edulis. These results demonstrate fungal and bacterial community co-response to fire prevention treatments and provide new tools for forecasting forest management impacts on microbial communities.Junta de Castilla y León (VA050P17