title: Ectomycorrhizal communities associated with Populus tremula growing on a heavy metal contaminated site.
abstract: European aspen is one of the most widely distributed trees in Central Europe and is a typical early colonizer of poor and disturbed soils. However, little is known about ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi in these ecosystems. We examined the ECM community of European aspen growing on a heavily contaminated site in southern Austria by analysing ECM roots, sorting them into morphotypes, subjecting them to DNA extraction, PCR, and DNA sequencing. ECM root symbionts were sampled two times in 2004. During this time, the below-ground community structure was relatively stable; we found no evidence of taxa adapted to summer or autumn conditions and only two species varied widely in occurrence between soil horizons. The ECM fungal community was diverse (54 species), rich in Basidiomycota (43 species), and dominated by Cenococcum geophilum and fungi with corticoid basidiomes (e.g. Thelephoraceae).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, University Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. d.krpata@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krpata
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Peintner
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Langer
authors.forename: Walter J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fitz
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schweiger
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D001317:Austria; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer / Q000032:analysis; D017753:Ecosystem; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000378:metabolism*; D038821:Mycorrhizae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000382:microbiology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D032107:Populus / Q000382:microbiology*; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D013559:Symbiosis
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D021903:DNA, Ribosomal Spacer; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; D012339:RNA, Ribosomal, 28S; D012989:Soil Pollutants