engleski

Growth of Pedunculate oak seedlings inoculated with ectomycorrhiza Laccaria bicolor in excessively humid substrate conditions

Background and Purpose: Pedunculate oak mortality and the success of regeneration are governed by changes in hydrological conditions. Excessive quantities of water in lowland forest ecosystems lead to site waterlogging. This event is assumed to have an unfavourable effect on forest trees and mycorrhizal symbiosis in the soil. The goal of research was to determine the extent to which excessive substrate humidity affects the growth of pedunculate oak seedlings and ectomycorrhizal development. Another goal was to assess ectomycorrhizal effects on seedling growth. Materials and Methods: Research involved pedunculate oak seedlings growing in a glasshouse in substrates with two different humidity levels. The inoculum of ectomycorrhizal fungus Laccaria bicolor S238 was made in a mixture of alginate and humus. Seedling diameters and heights were analyzed and so was the proportion of ectomycorrhiza on the root. Results: The height of pedunculate oak seedlings growing in an excessively humid substrate was more than 50% lower and the diameters at the root 10-30% smaller in comparison with seedlings growing in favourably humid substrate. The proportion of ectomycorrhiza at the root was 5% under unfavourable conditions whereas under favourable conditions it amounted to over 70%. Conclusion: Inoculation of pedunculate oak seedlings with ECM fungus Laccaria bicolor improved seedling height by 13% on average under normal humidity conditions, but had no effect in unfavourable substrate humidity conditions. Inoculation affected diameters at the root only in excessively humid substrate and reached 21% on average. The growth of pedunculate oak seedlings was considerably impacted by unfavourable hydrological conditions.

ectomycorrhiza; Laccaria bicolor; site changes; lowland forests; Pedunculate oak

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