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The Role of Ectomycorrhiza in Boreal Forest Ecosystem

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Permafrost Ecosystems

Part of the book series: Ecological Studies ((ECOLSTUD,volume 209))

Abstract

The ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM fungi) are both abundant and widespread in boreal forests. Host plant provides the assimilated carbon to the infecting ECM fungi. Many studies indicate that at most 10-30% of the assimilated carbon by the host plant photosynthesis may be used by the fungal partner for the production and sustenance of its external biomass (Smith and Read 1997). On the other hand, ECM fungi exude extracellular enzymes that are able to break down complex organic substances and consequently transmit the inorganic nutrients to their hosts. Such ECM activity results in greater plant growth under severe environmental conditions of the boreal forests (Read 1991; Chalot and Brun 1998). Tree seedlings infected with ECM can significantly improve their growth when compared with nonmycorrhizal seedlings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Lab of Systems Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Haidian District, Beijing, 100085, China

    L. Qu

  2. Department of Forest Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan

    K. Makoto

  3. Institute of Symbiotic Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Fuchu, Tokyo, 183-8509, Japan

    D. S. Choi

  4. Symbiotech Research Inc., 2020 Seed Labs Inc., Nisku, AB, T9E 7N5, Canada

    A. M. Quoreshi

  5. Department of Forest Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-Ku, Sapporo, 060-8589, Japan

    T. Koike

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  1. L. Qu
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kita-Shirakawa-Oiwake-Cho, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan

    Akira Osawa

  2. Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk, 660036, Russian Federation

    Olga A. Zyryanova

  3. Research Institute, Forestry & Forest Products, Matsunosato 1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8687, Japan

    Yojiro Matsuura

  4. Research Institute, Forestry & Forest Products, Kurokami 4-11-16, Kumamoto, 860-0862, Japan

    Takuya Kajimoto

  5. Dept. Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2H1, Canada

    Ross W. Wein

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Qu, L., Makoto, K., Choi, D.S., Quoreshi, A.M., Koike, T. (2010). The Role of Ectomycorrhiza in Boreal Forest Ecosystem. In: Osawa, A., Zyryanova, O., Matsuura, Y., Kajimoto, T., Wein, R. (eds) Permafrost Ecosystems. Ecological Studies, vol 209. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9693-8_21

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