Coarse woody debris retention in subalpine clearcuts affects ectomycorrhizal root tip community structure within fifteen years of harvest

► We examined ectomycorrhizal (ECM) roots and hyphae after clearcut harvesting. ► Retention of intact downed wood shifted ECM species composition. ► The most abundant ECM taxa on tips and hyphae were colonizers of nursery seedlings. ► Cloning and isotopic data support our contention that A. purpurea is mycorrhizal. ► The Sicamous Creek site is still in a post-disturbance successional stage.