Menkis, Audrius
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Research article2010Peer reviewed
Effects of stump and slash removal on growth and mycorrhization of Picea abies seedlings outplanted on a forest clear-cut
Menkis, Audrius; Uotila, Antti; Arhipova, Natalija; Vasaitis, Rimvydas
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate impact of stump and slash removal on growth and mycorrhization of Picea abies seedlings outplanted on a forest clear-cut. Four non-replicated site preparation treatments included: (1) mounding (M), (2) removal of stumps (K), (3) mounding and removal of logging slash (HM) and (4) removal of logging slash and stumps (HK). Results showed that height increment of the seedlings was highest in K and lowest in M after the third growing season, and similar pattern remained after the fourth season. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) colonisation of seedling roots was highest in M (96.6%) and lowest in K (72.3%), and even in HK (76.0%) and HM (76.3%). Morphotyping and sequencing of internal transcribed spacer of fungal ribosomal DNA revealed a total of 13 ECM species. Among those, Thelephora terrestris and Cenococcum geophilum were the most common, found on 27.4% and 26.3% of roots, respectively. The rest of species colonised 26.6% of roots. Richness of ECM species was highest in M (10 species) and lowest in K (three species). Consequently, stump and slash removal from clear-felled sites had a positive effect on growth of outplanted spruce seedlings, but negative effect on their mycorrhization. This suggests that altered soil conditions due to site disturbance by stump and slash removal might be more favourable for tree growth than more abundant mycorrhization of their root systems in less disturbed soil.
Keywords
Clear-cut; Stump removal; Soil disturbances; Seedling growth; Ectomycorrhizal fungi
Published in
Mycorrhiza
2010, volume: 20, number: 7, pages: 505-509
Publisher: SPRINGER
SLU Authors
Vasaitis, Rimvydas
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
UKÄ Subject classification
Botany
Microbiology
Forest Science
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00572-010-0299-1
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/60767