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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2007, p. 4867-4873, Vol. 73, No. 15
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00584-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Growth and Mycorrhizal Community Structure of Pinus sylvestris Seedlings following the Addition of Forest Litter{triangledown}

Algis Aucina,1 Maria Rudawska,2* Tomasz Leski,2 Audrius Skridaila,1 Edvardas Riepsas,3 and Michal Iwanski2

Botanical Garden of Vilnius University, 43 Kairenu Str., LT-10239 Vilnius 40, Lithuania,1 Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Parkowa Str., 62-035 Kórnik, Poland,2 Department of Sylviculture, Lithuanian University of Agriculture, 11 Studentu Str., Akademija, LT-53361 Kaunas District, Lithuania3

Received 14 March 2007/ Accepted 4 June 2007

We report the effects of pine and oak litter on species composition and diversity of mycorrhizal fungi colonizing 2-year-old Pinus sylvestris L. seedlings grown in a bare-root nursery in Lithuania. A layer of pine or oak litter was placed on the surface of the nursery bed soil to mimic natural litter cover. Oak litter amendment appeared to be most favorable for seedling survival, with a 73% survival rate, in contrast to the untreated mineral bed soil (44%). The concentrations of total N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were higher in oak growth medium than in pine growth medium. Relative to the control (pH 6.1), the pH was lower in pine growth medium (5.8) and higher in oak growth medium (6.3). There were also twofold and threefold increases in the C content of growth medium with the addition of pine and oak litter, respectively. Among seven mycorrhizal morphotypes, eight different mycorrhizal taxa were identified: Suillus luteus, Suillus variegatus, Wilcoxina mikolae, a Tuber sp., a Tomentella sp., Cenococcum geophilum, Amphinema byssoides, and one unidentified ectomycorrhizal symbiont. Forest litter addition affected the relative abundance of mycorrhizal symbionts more than their overall representation. This was more pronounced for pine litter than for oak litter, with 40% and 25% increases in the abundance of suilloid mycorrhizae, respectively. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that changes in the supply of organic matter through litter manipulation may have far-reaching effects on the chemistry of soil, thus influencing the growth and survival of Scots pine seedlings and their mycorrhizal communities.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Institute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5 Parkowa Str., 62-035 Kórnik, Poland. Phone: 48-61-8170033. Fax: 48-61-8170166. E-mail: mariarud{at}man.poznan.pl

{triangledown} Published ahead of print on 8 June 2007.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, August 2007, p. 4867-4873, Vol. 73, No. 15
0099-2240/07/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/AEM.00584-07
Copyright © 2007, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.





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