Species Richness and Abundance of Ectomycorrhizal Basidiomycete Sporocarps on a Moisture Gradient in the Tsuga heterophylla Zone
Principal Investigator(s): Dr. Thomas O'Dell, University of Washington, Department of Botany
Project Description Sporocarps of epigeous ectomycorrhizal fungi and vegetation data were collected from eight Tsuga heterophylla- Pseudotsuga menziesii stands along a wet to dry gradient in Olympic National Park, Washington. One hundred and fifty species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were collected from a total sample area of 2.08 ha. Over two years, fungal species richness ranged from 19 to 67 taxa per stand. Sporocarp standing crop ranged from 0 to 3.8 kg/ha, averaging 0.58 kg/ha, 0.06 kg/ha in spring and 0.97 kg/ha in fall. Sporocarp standing crop and fungal species richness were correlated with precipitation. These results demonstrated that ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarp abundance and species richness can be partly explained in terms of an environmental gradient.
Sporocarps of epigeous ectomycorrhizal fungi and vegetation data were collected from eight Tsuga heterophylla- Pseudotsuga menziesii stands along a wet to dry gradient in Olympic National Park, Washington. One hundred and fifty species of ectomycorrhizal fungi were collected from a total sample area of 2.08 ha. Over two years, fungal species richness ranged from 19 to 67 taxa per stand. Sporocarp standing crop ranged from 0 to 3.8 kg/ha, averaging 0.58 kg/ha, 0.06 kg/ha in spring and 0.97 kg/ha in fall. Sporocarp standing crop and fungal species richness were correlated with precipitation. These results demonstrated that ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarp abundance and species richness can be partly explained in terms of an environmental gradient.
