Intraspecific variation in Cs-137 activity concentration in sporocarps of Suillus variegatus in seven Swedish populations

Abstract

Following the Chernobyl accident in 1986, sporocarps of Suillus variegatus in Sweden showed a large amount of individual variation in concentration of Cs-137 activity. Our aim was to determine the degrees to which this variability in sporocarp Cs-137 levels could be explained by differences between (i) local populations, (ii) fungal genets and (iii) locations within genets. Five populations in a 100-yr-old Scots pine forest, located within a 1 km(2) area, and two populations in Scots pine/Norway spruce forest, located 40 km northwest of Uppsala, were investigated. In total, 154 sporocarps were analysed to determine their Cs-137 content. Of these, the genetic affiliations of 86 were successfully characterized using somatic incompatibility reactions. Twenty-six genets were found which, on average, consisted of 65 sporocarps. The genets averaged 7.5 m in size, measured as the length between the most distant sporocarps. The mean sporocarp Cs-137 level was 67.1 +/- 2.8 kBq kg(-1) D.W. (range between 13.6 and 182). According to analyses of variance, within-population variation accounted for 60% of the total variation in Cs-137 levels, while 40% was ascribed to variation among populations. Within a population, Cs-137 levels did not generally differ significantly between genets. Plausible reasons for intraspecific variation in radiocaesium content in sporocarps are discussed.

Published in

Mycological Research
1997, volume: 101, pages: 545-551
Publisher: CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS

SLU Authors

• Dahlberg, Anders

  • Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Natural Sciences

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0953756296002924

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/43309