Above- and Below-Ground Ectomycorrhizal Diversity in a Pine-Oak Forest in Northeastern Thailand

Abstract

A diversity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi in a pine-oak forest in the PhuKhieo Wildlife Sanctuary (PKWS) in remote northeastern Thailand, was investigated both above-ground (fruit-bodies) and below-ground (root tips). The total number of fungi studied were 27 and 109 samples, respectively. Due to a high variation of mushroom morphotypes and limitations in identification of ECM roots, nucleotide sequences of ITS and 5.8S nrDNA were determined and analysed. The results revealed a high diversity of ECM fungi, especially in the below-ground samples. ECM mushrooms belonged to 6 families whereas root tip samples belonged to 10 families. Russulaceae was a dominant and frequently found fungal family in our study. Other families such as Amanitaceae, Boletaceae and Sclerodermataceae were also identified from both above-ground and below-ground samples. In addition, two families, Astraeaceae and Gomphaceae were only noted above-ground, whereas Ceratobasidiaceae, Inocybaceae, Sebacinaceae, Tremellaceae and Thelephoraceae were only detected below-ground. Our study provide the first molecular characterizations of an ECM diversity in pine-oak forest in Thailand.