High diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi in subalpine and alpine zones: Potential inoculum for afforestation

Arctostaphylos uva-ursi plant associations have long been suggested to be a suitable location for afforestations, but systematic studies on the observed beneficial effect are still missing in Alpine areas. In this study we address the question which ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal communities exist in Austrian alpine and subalpine Arctostaphylos habitats, and if they persist in A. uva-ursi stands even hundred of years after disappearance of trees in these areas. The diversity of fungal communities associated with A. uva-ursi was assessed in four study sites (1800–2450 m a.s.l.) in the Central European Alps of Tyrol (Austria). Three approaches were applied: (i) collecting and identifying fungal fruit bodies; (ii) studying the arbutoid mycorrhiza morphotypes of A. uva-ursi; (iii) molecular identification of the most common arbutoid morphotypes. The detected diversity of ECM fungal species was very high (99 taxa), and the occurrence of e.g. Boletus, Cantharellus, Suillus, Tricholoma, Russula spp. in sites that have been treeless for centuries is especially remarkable. Fruit bodies of 82 fungal species were found in association with A. uva-ursi, 63 of them were ECM. Seventy arbutoid morphotypes were detected on 2072 mycorrhized root tips, and 39 taxa of basidiomycete mycobionts were identified with molecular methods. Twelve Cortinarius spp. clearly dominated the mycobiont species richness, followed by nine spp. of Thelephoraceae and four spp. of Boletaceae. Most mycobionts of A. uva-ursi were generalists, but fungal taxa (e.g. Lactarius deterrimus and Suillus spp.) known to be specifically associated with other host plants were also detected. We therefore consider A. uva-ursi as a “non-selective” host, providing mycorrhizal inoculum of highly specialized and effective mycorrhizal fungi for afforestation. This explains why A. uva-ursi plant associations represent suitable locations for forest regeneration and afforestation, especially in the harsh environmental conditions of subalpine and alpine sites.