 | Shefferson, R.P. T. Kull, K. Tali. 2008. Mycorrhizal interactions of orchids | |
| colonizing Estonian mine tailings hills. American Journal of Botany 95:156- 164. |
Abstract Northeastern Estonia is home to extensive oil shale mines. Associated with
these are desolate and environmentally damaging hills of ash and semi-coke
tailings. Interestingly, some of the first plants to colonize these hills are rare orchids.
Here, we assess the identities of the mycorrhizal fungi with these orchids, in particular
Epipactis atrorubens, Orchis militaris, and Dactylorhiza baltica, and compare them
with mycorrhizal interactions from orchids from pristine habitat. Epipactis atrorubens
associated with the widest breadth of fungi, including unnamed members of the
basidiomycete family Tulasnellaceae and the potentially ectomycorrhizal
ascomycetes Trichophaea woolhopeia and Geopora cooperi. Orchis militaris also
associated with unnamed members of the Tulasnellaceae. Dactylorhiza baltica
associated with Ceratobasidium albasitensis. In Epipactis and Orchis, the same fungi
associated with plants in pristine habitat as with those on ash hills. The tulasnelloid
and ceratobasidioid fungi mycorrhizal with these orchids appear closely related to
common orchid mycorrhizal fungi, while one of the ascomycetes mycorrhizal with
Epipactis atrorubens is closely related to a mycorrhizal fungus with Epipactis
microphylla. Our results suggest that these orchids and their fungi are not limited to
pristine habitats, and that environmentally polluted sites may present novel habitats
that may be exploited for endangered plant conservation.
View PDF
Copyright 2010 Richard P. Shefferson. All rights reserved.
Shefferson, Kull, and Tali 2008
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |