Evaluating soil microbial environments required by forest floor plants

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14750
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Forest science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nara Kazuhide 東京大学, 大学院新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (60270899)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 林床植物 / 共生菌 / 菌根菌 / 菌従属栄養性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In subalpine conifer forests and temperate broadleaf forests, we investigated the existence and degree of mycoheterotrophy (carbon dependence on root colonizing fungi) among a variety of forest floor plants by analyzing natural abundance of C and N stable isotopes. Root colonizing fungal communities and photosynthetic traits of putative partially mycoheterotrophic plants were also studied. Many species belonging to Orchidaceae and Pyroleae (Ericaceae) were confirmed as fully or partially mycoheterotrophic plants. While the orchid species tended to prefer a certain fungal group, Pyroleae species were colonized by a diverse ectomycorrhizal fungi without apparent specificity. Photosynthetic traits and mycoheterotrophic traits were significantly different among coexisting Pyroleae species, suggesting their niche differentiation.

Free Research Field

森林微生物学