Subject: Mycorrhiza/Arctic help

From: [email-masked] (Aubrey Jackson)
Date: 26 Mar 1995 01:43:22 GMT

I am trying to find information on the importance of mycorrhizae
activity to the growth of arctic plants.  I specifically need to know
if there are any good articles out there.  Any help will be
appreciated.  Thanks
			A.J.

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From: [email-masked]
Date: 26 Mar 1995 13:41:57 -0800

There was an article in the Jan-Feb 1995 (I believe) issue of Arctic and 
Alpine Research on Salix bearing DSE infections in Norway.

These infections show up in arctic and alpine plants, where little 
mineralized nitrogen is available.  I'd wager a rootbeer float that these 
infections make organic N available to the hosts in some manner.  This 
isn't that odd of an idea--Read found (I think) that infections in 
Vaccinium macrocarpon made simple organic N compounds available to the host.

Now that I think of it, there was another article some time back (I 
didn't read the article, just saw it while searching through Agricola) on 
an arctic plant (Erigeron?) that directly used organic N.  I don't recall 
seeing any mention of mycorrhiza in the database entry, so this may 
provide a counter example...

curt
[email-masked]

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From: Thomas O'Dell <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Mar 1995 11:17:12 -0800

First, you can try the mycorrhiza list server ([email-masked]) send 
mail with subscribe in the body and you get a reply with more detail.
Second, two recent references:
Bledsoe, C. et al. 1990. Can. J. Bot 68: 1848-1856. A survey of mycorrhizal 
plants on Truelove Lowland, Devon Island, N.W.T., Canada
Kohn, L.M. & Statovski. 1990. The mycorrhizal status of plants at 
Alexander Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Canada, a high Arctic site. Mycologia 
82: 23-35.
I think that so far the generalization is that a higher proportion of 
non-mycorrhizal plants occur at high latitude and elevation... also 
perhaps greater proportions of septate endophytes (dark-septates etc.) 
of unknown function. Some data from studies underway are showing benefits 
to some plants from inoculation with Phialocephala fortinii, a widespread 
septate endophyte of roots. [Jupponen and Trappe, unpublished data] and 
that this species makes available N from organic sources [Johnson and 
Perry unpublished data] you might get some information from Trappe 
[[email-masked]]
Good Luck!
 [email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (Lewis Melville)
Date: 29 Mar 1995 20:37:51 GMT

: Aubrey Jackson ([email-masked]) wrote:
: : I am trying to find information on the importance of mycorrhizae
: : activity to the growth of arctic plants.  I specifically need to know
: : if there are any good articles out there.  Any help will be
: : appreciated.  Thanks
: : 	

Dryas integrifolia is 
ectomycorrhizal ( as are other Dryas species), and acts as an early 
colonizer in recently glaciated regions /and/or the boreal forest. The 
fungus allegedly retrieves P in nutrient poor soils which would otherwise 
be inaccessible to the plant. I have a couple of papers on the structure 
and ultrastructure of Dryas ectomycorrhizas, but there isn't much there 
on ecology. Botanical Gazette 148:332-341 (1987) and Botanical Gazette 
149: 409-418 (1988). Sorry but I don't have any reprints left. 
	While the fungal component may play a passive role in the 
association, it's presence hints at some kind of function, albeit an 
unproven one.
 good luck. 
 lewis melville.

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From: [email-masked] (Vikram Prabhu)
Date: 28 Mar 1995 15:22:27 GMT

Aubrey Jackson ([email-masked]) wrote:
: I am trying to find information on the importance of mycorrhizae
: activity to the growth of arctic plants.  I specifically need to know
: if there are any good articles out there.  Any help will be
: appreciated.  Thanks
: 			A.J.

See article in Nature (1993 I think) by Stewart Chapin and others on 
arctic plants using organic nitrogen, with no evidence of mycorrhizal 
colonization. (Most plants anyhow readily use free amino acids and 
peptides when supplied).  
Finding mycorrhiza-like fungal colonization in plants is not necessarily 
a good indication of the physiological role for the fungi, though some 
recent papers indicate that Phialophora, Phialocephala etc colonize 
alpine/arctic plants. These fungi exhibit a variety of symbiotic 
relationships with plants, depending on the plant and "environmental" 
conditions.  

Vik Prabhu

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From: MARK MARBUT <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 19 May 95 22:09:07 -0500

A.J.
 I am performing reseach r/t mycorrhizal fungi and there role
as keystone species worldwide. I have found that data is
difficult to find. I am beginning to use the bionet to make
contacts. Would love to make contacts with individuals and
databases on this subject. Sorry, the bulk of information I
have is r/t mycorrhizal fungi in rainforest.
 
   Good Luck!
 
      M & M