Ectomycorrhizal Russula Species in Turkish Pine ( Pinus brutia Ten.) Forests in İzmir

1. EctomycorrhizalRussulaSpecies in TurkishPine (Pinusbrutia Ten.) Forests in İzmir HülyaAKÇAa,HidayetKARAKURTa,M. HalilSOLAKband GıyasettinAKBİNa aThe Aegean Forestry Research Institute, Urla, İzmir, Turkey. bMuğla University, Ali Koçman Vocational High School, Fungi Program, Ula, Muğla, Turkey.

2. Mineral Nutrition FineRoots Tree Fungus Ecosystem Parasite Saprofite Symbiosis Overview • A mycorrhiza (Gk. μυκός, mykós, "fungus" andριζα, riza, "roots", pl. mycorrhizaeormycorrhizas) is a symbiotic (generallymutualistic, but occasionallyweaklypathogenic) associationbetween a fungusandtheroots of a vascularplant. Soil OrganicMatter

3. Overview • Fungus+ Root = Mycorrhizalassociation • This diagram compares types of plant-fungus interactions and each is explained separately (after Brundrett 2004).

4. Description: Root-tip mycelia of the Amanita type.Source: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2105/6/178

5. Introduction • Fungi are one of the most important components of forest soils and they strongly affect soil structure, water balance and mineral nutrient availability (Tinker et al., 1992; Marschener and Dell, 1994). Besides fungi themselves or together with other soil organisms are effective on the soil formation processes, they are effective on plant nutrition and health status. Mycorrhizal fungi have an important role on restoration of industrial and mining spoils, tailings or waste hips.

6. Classification of mycorrhizae Mycorrhizal associations can be classified to seven groups as: • ArbutoidMycorrhizae, • Ectomycorrhizae, • Ectendomycorrhizae, • EricoidMycorrhizae, • MonotropoidMycorrhizae, • VesiculararbuscularMycorrhizae and • OrchidMycorrhizae.

7. Ectomycorrhizal fungi Ectomycorrhizal fungi can be found in 90% of the temperate zone trees and each tree may establish an association more than one fungus species at the same time.

8. Nutritional statuson the forest floor The change of the nutritional status on the forest floor can be explained in terms of fungus-plant association succession. As forests are getting older, herbaceous species rich forest floor shaded by large trees, falling leaves (or needles) build up in the litterfall layer, increasing the retention times and this causes litter accumulation.

9. Nutritional statuson the forest floor Diversity of the fungi species reaches climax when canopy closure nearly completed. Therefore early mycorrhizal colonies may help plant nutrient uptake from inorganic mineral nutrient pools. However, later occurring fungi cannot utilize large nutrient pools because mineralization value of dead leaves and needles were very low. Such mycorrhizal fungi may exhibit saprophytic characters or may establish some saprophytic associations.

10. Ectomycorrhizal fungi and soil reaction Ectomycorrhizal fungi commonly observed in acidic soils rather than alkaline soils. However better mycorrhizal formation observed in the soils with low levels of nitrates and neutral pH values. High levels nitrates and limes (calcareous) hinder mycorrhizal growth (Haktanır and Arcak after Kibar and Pekşen, 2007).

11. Difficulties in reforestationactivities Foresters may experience some difficulties and face challenges during the establishment of new forests in some reforestation sites due to the degeneration of some original forest ecosystem characteristics. It is necessary to investigate the reasons behind the loss of some biological and physical characteristics of soils.

12. Preferencesandadaptation of mycorrhizalfungi As each mycorrhizal fungus build an association with a suitable tree species, every mycorrhizal fungus may not adapt or establish in a given site. For example, mycorrhizal fungi species that would be used in the afforestation sites at the high elevations (mountainous regions should show adaptations to lower temperatures (Moser 1964). Any mycorrhizal fungus cannot adapt every site conditions. In nursery operations, right fungi species from appropriate origin should be selected and should be inoculated to build the right mycorrhizal associations with seedlings (Lehto, 1994).

13. PinusbrutiaTen. / Turkishpine

14. PinusbrutiaTen. / Turkishpine Turkishpine (Calabrianpine, in Turkish kızılçam) is the most important coniferous forest tree in Turkey. Turkish pine forests can grow on all substrates and almost all bioclimates of the Mediterranean region. They can be found at altitudes of 0–600 m in the northern Mediterranean and 0–1.400 m in the southern Mediterranean (thermo- and meso-Mediterranean levels). Optimal development of P. brutia forests requires higher rainfalls but accepts a wider range of temperatures (absolute mean minimum temperatures between –5 and +10°C, sub-humid and humid bioclimates) (Fadyet al. 2003).

15. Pinusbrutia Ten. / Turkishpine

16. ThegenusRussula Russula is a genus of Russulaceae. Russula species, no milky fluid is exuded when the fruitbody is injured. In addition, the flesh can discolor red, yellow, brownish or black. Most species have only complete lamellae, and lamellulae. The pileus is usually brightly colored, either uniformly or with a mixture of different colors, but never concentrically zoned. The pileal margin is glabrous even when young, neither pubescent nor pilose. The lamellar trama in cross section is heteromerous, that is, it consists of mostly subglobose cells. RussulaaerugineaFr RussulaquelettiFr

17. Previousstudiesandourpurpose There were many studies regarding the distribution of the ectomycorrhizal fungi species in Izmir, Turkey (Asbagh and Solak, 2000; Gücin, 1993; Karadeniz and Yaprak, 2011; Solaket al., 1999; Solaket al., 2007 and; YılmazErsel and Solak, 2004). The purpose of this study was to determine the ectomycorrhizal fungi species and their distribution in the natural turkish pine (Pinusbrutia Ten.) forests in İzmir and Manisa provinces of Turkey.

18. Thelocation of thestudy

19. Collectedfungisamples • The species and genera of the fungi samples which were collected from the natural Turkish pine forests in İzmir Forest Regional Directorate region were identified. • In this study, species of 390 samples and genera of 160 samples were identified. Thus, 123 different species from 50 different genera were determined.

20. Number of the sampling sites of the ectomycorrhizal fungi genera

22. Soil properties of the sampling sites with Russula species

23. Soiltexture

24. Soilorganicmatter

25. Total carbonates of thesoils

26. Soilreaction (pH)

27. Soilnitrogen (N)

28. SoilPosphorus (P)

29. SoilPotassium (K)

30. SoilCalcium (K)

31. SoilMagnesium (Mg)

32. SoilSodium (Na)

33. Discussion • Genus Russula was ranked as first in terms of diversity and second in terms of distribution in the study area. Seventy percent of the soils where Russula species were observed had low to very low levels of nitrogen concentrations while 16% of the soils had moderate levels of nitrogen concentrations. Our results are in agreement with Lilleskov’s (2001) paper, the sporocarp production was very low when Nitrogen input was very high.

34. Soilpropertiesand ECM fungi The nitrogen and phosphorus levels of the sampling sites were ranged from low to very low (67% of the soils had very low and low nitrogen content, 89% of the soil samples had very low and low phosphorus content). It was stressed that formation of mycorrhizal associations would be very important in such soil conditions (Molina and Trappe, 1984). In view of soil reactions (pH) of the sampling sites, 18% of them are acidic, 33% neutral and 49% of them are alkaline. These results have contradicted with the literature knowledge that ectomycorrhizal fungi prefer acidic soils rather than alkaline (Haktanır and Arcak after Kibar and Pekşen, 2007).

35. Soilpropertiesand ECM fungi However, ectomycorrhizal associations’ formation would be established better in the neutral soils than in the acidic soils (Haktanır and Arcak after Kibar and Pekşen, 2007). 67% of the sampling sites were very low and low, 11% of them moderate and high and 22% of them were very high and excessive carbonates levels. These results were in harmony as soils with high carbonates (calcareous) levels hinder mycorrhizal formations. RussulaaerugineaFr RussulaquelettiFr

36. Understanding mycorrhizal associations • Identifying the ectomycorrhizal fungi species which form beneficial associations with forest tree and shrub species in Aegean region will enable us to understand the extend of the complex relationships in Aegean forest ecosystems. The biological characteristics of the fungi and the impact on the host plant as well as the reason of the introduction / inoculation are very important factors understanding these important symbiotic relationships. Therefore, with isolations from roots or cap, pure fungi cultures can be obtained and these then could be used as inoculation materials.

37. Understandingmycorrhizalassociations • In forest nurseries, natural soils obtained from sites where particular trees or shrubs naturally grow and substrates with fine roots with mycorrhizal fungus can be utilized as an easy way of developing ectomycorrhizal inoculations.

38. Further research on mycorrhizalassociations Further research investigating the structure and properties of the mycorrhizal associations will improve our understanding of the role of the mycorrhizal associations in changing forest ecosystems due to environmental and climatic perturbations. Also it is necessary to study the amount of below ground carbon sink provided by forest ecosystems as the concern over climatechange continue to grow.

39. Lecciniumlepidum Lecciniumlepidum Buca-Kaynaklar’da rastlanmıştır ve Türkiye için yeni kayıttır.