Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 50 | Number 4 Article 12

12-31-1990 Ectomycorrhizal formation by Pisolithus tinctorius on Quercus gambelii × Quercus turbinella hybrid in an acidic Sierra Nevada minesoil R. F. Walker University of Nevada, Reno

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Recommended Citation Walker, R. F. (1990) "Ectomycorrhizal formation by Pisolithus tinctorius on Quercus gambelii × Quercus turbinella hybrid in an acidic Sierra Nevada minesoil," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 50 : No. 4 , Article 12. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol50/iss4/12

This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Cn:llt Kaorin N;l.hll'::IUst 50(4). 1990. pp. 361-370

ECTOMYCORRHlZAL FORMATION BY PISOLlTHUS TlNCTORIUS ON QUERCUS GAMBELll x QUERCUS TURBINELLA HYBRID IN AN ACIDIC SIERRA NEVADA MINESOIL

R. F, Walkeri

Recent reports (Walker 1989, 1990) dis­ fur mine ofapproximately 100 ha, is located on closed Pisolithtls tinctorius (Pers.) Coker & thc eastern slope of the central Sierra Nevada Couch occurring in cctomycorrhizal associa­ (38°42'3California white fir (Abies concowr var. properties of the minesoil (Butterfield and lowiana [Gord.] Lemm.) on spoils of the Tueller 1980) revealed a pH of 4.0-4.5, a Leviathan Mine in Alpine County, California. deficiency of plant-available N, and a poten­ This Gasternmycete, which has a near world­ tially phytotoxic Al concentration. Efforts to wide distribution in temperate, subtropical, rcvegetate the mine since its closure in 1962 and tropical latitudes, is a my<..'Obiont of nu­ have mct with limited success, although more merous conifer and hardwood hosts (Marx recent attempts using a variety of native and 1977). In the United States it has been most nonnative woody species have been some­ often observed in associ.ation with various what encouraging. Additionally, the periph­ pine species on harsh sites in the East, South, ery of the mine has becn recolonized by sev­ and Midwest (Lampky and Peterson 1963, eral species from the adjoining undisturbed Schmmm 1966, Hile and Hennen 1969, forest, primarily Jefli-ey and Sierra lodgepole Lampky and Lampky 1973, Marx 1975, pine and Cali/ornia white fir. Overall, how­ Medve et a1. 1977). Subsequently, P. tincto­ ever, much of the site is either sparsely vege­ rius has been the focus ofconcerted efforts to tated or barren. develop pure culture inoculation techniques Further examination of Leviathan Mine for nursery-grnwn pine seedlings (M ar.< et aI. spoils in Septemberof1989 and 1990 revealed 1976, 1984, 1989a, 1989b). Outplanting trials P. tinctorius in ectomycorrhizal association on southern Appalachian surface mines have with seedlings of the hybrid Cambe! oak demonstrated the potential benefits of plant­ (Quercus gambelii Nutt.) X turbinella oak ing inoculated seedlings on marginal sites, (Q. turhinelW Greene). These seedlings were which include improved survival and growth planted in 1987 as containerized stock grown attributable to enhanced uptake of nutrients from a<..'O)"ns collected in southern Nevada, the (Marx and Artman 1979) and water (Walker only location in the state where this hybrid et aI. 1989). Currently, research is concen­ occurs naturally (rucker et a!. 1961). One to trated on identification of potential new host three P. tinctorius basidiocarps, dark yellow species and sources oflocally adapted P. tinc­ to brown in color and matching the descrip­ to1'ius isolates, as well as improvement of tion of Coker and Couch (1928), were ob­ inoculation methods. The findings reported served near solitary seedlings (Fig. lA), while here result from efforts to ascertain the host numerous basidiocarps were often inter­ range of this fungus in thc Sierra Nevada and spersed among clusters of seedlings. Stipi­ Great Basin. tate, substipitatc, and sessile forms were en­ Leviathan Mine, an inactive, open-pit sui. countered, varying in size from 3 to 6 em in

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367 368 NOTES [Volume SO

Fig. 1. Pisolithus tinctorius basidiocarps on spoils ofthe Leviathan Mine in Alpine County. California, associated with: A, Gambeloak X turbineIJa oak hybrid; B, Rocky Mountain juniper. diameter and from 8 to 15 cm in length; the a single representative oak root system basidiocarps were rarely more than one meter revealed that approximately 20% ofthe lateral from the host. MyL..,lial strands with the char­ roots bore P. tinctorius mycorrhizae or an acteristic gold-yellow pigmentation ofP. tine­ obvious fungal mantle. torius (Schramm 1966) were traced through Additional P. tinetonus basidiocarps were the minesoil from basidiocarps 10 seedling observed in the immediate vicinity of seed­ root systems, which exhibited the similarly lings of Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus pigmented monopodial, bifurcate, and c'Oral­ scopulorum Sarg.), Woods rose (Rosa woodsii loid ectomycorrhizae formed hy this myco­ Lind!. var. ultramontana [Wats. J jeps.), and biont (Marx and Bryan 1975a). Excavation of Siberian peashrub (Caragana Uf'borescens 1990] NOTES 369

Fig. 1 continued. PisolithU$ tiJu;toriu.s basidiocarps on spoils of the Leviathan Mine in Alpine County, California, a..ssociated with: C, Woods rose; and D, Siberian peashrub.

Lam.). These three species were also planted from the basidiocarps to the root systems. as containerized stock with the plantings of However, no ectomycorrhizae were found Rocky Mountain juniper in 1984 and Woods on any of these three species following exca­ rose and Siberian peashrub in 1986. Typi­ vation of complete root systems, although cally, one or two basidiocarps, similar io species within the genera Juniper·us and appearance and size to those found with the Rosa are known to form ectomycorrhizaJ rela­ hybrid oaks, were again observed within one tionships (Harley and Smith 1983). Rather, on meter of isolated seedlings of the three spe­ the juniper, rose, and peashrub observed cies (Figs. 1B-D), and P. tinctorius mycelial here, only a loose fungal mantle ofthe charac­ strands were also traced through the minesoil teristic gold-yellow P. tinctorius hyphae was 370 NOTES [Volume SO apparent on the fine roots. Given that exca­ MARX, D. H.. ANI) j. D. ARTMAN. 1979. Pisolithus tincto­ vated seedling specimens and the associated riu.~ ectomy<:orrhizae improvesurvivaland growth of pine seedlings on acid coal spoils in Kentucky hasidiocarps were :> iO m from any other and Virginia. Reclamation Review 2: 23-31. vegetation, it is likely the fongus derived its MARX, D. II.. AND w. C. BRYAN. 19753. Crowth and ecto­ requisite carhohydrates solely from these lllycorrhi7.a1 development of loblolly pille seed­ seedlings, as most ectomycorrhizal fungi are Iin~s in fumigated soil infested with the fungal symhiont Pi$olithus Unctontls. Forest Science 21: assumed to rely on the carbohydrates ob­ 245-254. tained through the infection ofan autotrophic __. 1975h. The liignificanee of mycorrhizae to forest host for completion of their life cycles and tree.~. Pages 107-117 in B. Bernier and C. H. suhsequcnt fruiting body production (Marx Winget, eds., Proceedings of the fourth orth and Bryan 1975b). Thus, the apparent lack of American fnrest soils conference, AUgJ.ut 1973. Laval University, Quebec. International Scholarly ectomycorrhizal formation on the juniper, Books Services, Portland, Oregon. 675 pp. rose, and peashrub may indicate the develop­ MARX, D. H., W. C. BRYAN, AND C. E. CoRDELL. 1976. ment ofa paraliitic. or perhaps ectendomycor­ Crowth and ectomycorrhizal development ofpine rhizal, relationship between P. tindorius and seedlings in nursery soil.. infested with the fungal symbiont Pi...olithus linctot"ius. Forest Science 22: these hosts in the Leviathan Mine, although 91-100. there are no reports of this fungus forming MAnx, D. H.. C. E. COIIUI::LL. D. S. KENNEY.J. C. MEXAI .. either of these relationships with any of its J. D. AIIT~AN. J. W_ RLJo'F'L£, AND R J- MOLINA. previously identiHed host species. 1984. Commercial vegetative inoculum or Piso· Utlll/s (jnctoriu.<; and inoculation techniques for devclopmentofectomycorrhi.:lileon bare-root tree ACKNOWLEDGMENTS seedlings. Forest Seienc'e Monograph 25. 101 pp. This paper mntains results of the Nevada MAIlX. D. H.. C. E. CORDELL. S. B. MAUL, A~I) j. L. RUF.Hl.E. 1989a. Ectomycorrhizal development on Agricultural Experiment Station Research pine by Pisolilhus tinctodus in bare-root and c..'On­ Project 612 funded hy the Mclntire-Stennis tniner seedling nurseries. I. Efficacy of various Cooperative Forestry Research Program. The vegetative inoculum formulations. New Forests 3: author is indebted to P. M. Murphy of the 4.5-56. __ . 198%. Ectomyeorrhi;r.al development on pine by Division of Forestry, Nevada Department of P~'olitl1Us tinctorius in bare-root and container Conservation and Natural Resources; A. T. seedling nurseries. n. Efficacy of various vegeta­ Leiser of the Department of Environmental tive and spore inocula. New Forests 3: 57-66. Horticulture, University ofCalifornia, Davis; MEDVE, H. j., 1.". M. HOFt-MAN, Al\D T. W. GAITHER. 1977. and D. C. Prusso of the Department of Biol­ Tht: effects of myeorrhiZ<'l.I-forming: amendments 011 the rtlvegetation of bituminous stripmine ogy, University of Nevada, Reno, for their spoils. Bulletin of the Torrey BotaniC'al Club 104: invaluable assistance. 218-225. SCIIHAMM. J. R. 1966. .Plant colonization studies: on black waste!> from anthracite mioing in Peonsylvania. Tr,msactions of the American Philosophical Soci­ Bl'lTi':B..-mLD. R. L ANI) P. T. TUELLF.R. 1980. Revegeta­ ety 56: 1-194. tion potenli'il of J. N. COUCH. ]99..8. The Castero­ contribution of Quercus turbinella. American my<.:etes ofthe cit~tern United States and Canada. joum.ll of Botany 48: 329-339. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill. WAL)'Jm. R. F. 1989. Pisolithu.J tinctnrius, a Gastern­ 201 pp. mycete, a...sociate