Fuel accumulation and climate shifts are predicted to increase the frequency of high-severity fires in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws) forests of central Oregon. The combustion of fuels containing large downed wood can result in intense soil heating, alteration of soil properties, and mortality of microbes. Previous studies...
Soil food webs process the majority of terrestrial carbon, and influence overall ecosystem function. A primary distinction among soil food webs is based on fungal versus bacterial pathways of decomposition; these lead to fundamentally different soil function, and are expected to differ in dominance between meadows and forests. This assumption...
Ectomycorrhizal fungi (EmF) form symbioses with trees. These symbioses profoundly influence forest ecology. Certain EmF form specialized profusions of hyphae, known as ectomycorrhizal fungal mats (mats) which are visible to the naked eye, alter forest soil biogeochemistry, substantially contribute to soil microbial biomass/respiration and support unique microbial communities. Piloderma and...
The mycorrhizal rootlets of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco.) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) were extensively investigated. A jet-black mycorrhiza was found to be dominant on Douglas-fir rootlets. The fungal symbiont was identified as Cenococcum graniforme (Sow.) Ferd. and Winge. Two forms of mycorrhizae predominated on root systems of...
The species composition of soil microfungal populations in-adjacent
stands of red alder, conifers, and mixed alder conifer correlated
strongly with the dominant vascular vegetation. A total of 92
species were isolated: 55 from the alder stand; 45 from the conifers;
and 46 from the mixed alder-conifer, with few species (16,...
Intimate associations with reactive metal species permanently protect soil organic matter (SOM) from microbial access and oxidation, contributing to the build-up of organic carbon (C) stocks in soils. It is increasingly recognized, however, that such associations can be reversible and that reactive metal species might even facilitate the oxidation of...
Background information is presented that provides historical perspectives on the field of mycology in the Pacific Northwest and its role in forest management. The series of events and decisions that have led to previous studies (or lack of studies) in the field also dictate the directions of current research. Culture,...
Total length and biomass of fungal mycelium in the soil of a young Douglas-fir stand in the central Oregon Coast Range were estimated over 27 months with the agar-film technique. In a second study, phenology and taxonomy of hypogeous (belowground) sporocarps were studied over 32 months in a nearby, young...