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The mycorrhizal status and colonization of 26 tree species growing in urban and rural environments

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Abstract

Urban environments are highly disturbed and fragmented ecosystems that commonly have lower mycorrhizal fungal species richness and diversity compared to rural or natural ecosystems. In this study, we assessed whether the mycorrhizal status and colonization of trees are influenced by the overall environment (rural vs. urban) they are growing in. Soil cores were collected from the rhizosphere of trees growing in urban and rural environments around southern Ontario. Roots were extracted from the soil cores to determine whether the trees were colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, or both, and to quantify the percent colonization of each type of mycorrhizal fungi. All 26 tree species were colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and seven tree species were dually colonized by arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungi. Overall, arbuscular mycorrhizal and ectomycorrhizal fungal colonization was significantly (p < 0.001) lower in trees growing in urban compared to rural environments. It is not clear what ‘urban’ factors are responsible for the reduction in mycorrhizal fungal colonization; more research is needed to determine whether inoculating urban trees with mycorrhizal fungi would increase colonization levels and growth of the trees.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank C. Haffie, K. Hao, and V. Paulon for technical assistance. We also thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for financial assistance through the Discovery Grant Program and the Postgraduate Fellowship Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Luke D. Bainard

  2. Biology and Physical Geography Unit, University of British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada

    John N. Klironomos

  3. School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada

    Andrew M. Gordon

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  1. Luke D. Bainard
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  2. John N. Klironomos
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  3. Andrew M. Gordon
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Correspondence to Luke D. Bainard.

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Bainard, L.D., Klironomos, J.N. & Gordon, A.M. The mycorrhizal status and colonization of 26 tree species growing in urban and rural environments. Mycorrhiza 21, 91–96 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-010-0314-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-010-0314-6

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