Below-ground fine-scale distribution and soil versus fine root detection of fungal and soil oomycete communities in a French beech forest

The use of next-generation DNA sequencing methods, which produce massive volumes of data, has transformed fungal molecular ecology. These technologies offer the opportunity to describe microbial communities in depth and to investigate fungal diversity at a large geographical scale. In particular, due to the emergence of studies conducted at a large scale (countries, continents), the definition of a compromise between the optimal and representative description of local diversity (plot scale) and the management of a greater number of sites for these studies is required. This work was performed to explore the local richness and the structure of the ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal and oomycete communities in a temperate beech plot using 454 pyrosequencing technology. The internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region was amplified and sequenced from fine roots and soil sampled from the two upper horizons. Our analyses suggest that soil could be a good substitute for fine roots in studying EcM fungi. The fungal assemblage exhibited a vertical distribution in the soil profile. Only four Pythiaceae were identified, which was insufficient to study the spatial distribution of this group. The fungal and particularly the ectomycorrhizal (EcM) richness was not correlated with any soil variable (pH, C, N or P), but the spatial structure was explained by the C:N ratio and phosphorus content. Our data reveal the importance of maintaining a minimal representative sampling at the plot scale for comparative geographical studies.

► We explored the spatial distribution of soil microorganisms in a beech forest.
► Fungi and oomycetes were targeted in root/soil compartments using 454 sequencing.
► We discussed sampling strategy for high-throughput studies of fungal communities.
► The soil seems a good substitute for roots to study ectomycorrhizal fungi.
► We confirmed a strong spatial and vertical structure for the fungal community.