Exploitation of pollen by mycorrhizal mycelial systems with special reference to nutrient recycling in boreal forests

Very large quantities of pollen are released annually by wind-pollinated trees, which dominate northern forest ecosystems. Since pollen is enriched in both nitrogen and phosphorus, this recurrent pulse of deposition constitutes a significant potential source of these elements in what are known to be severely nutrient-limited systems. Here, we demonstrate for the first time, to our knowledge, that an ectomycorrhizal fungus, Paxillus involutus, is able to scavenge effectively for nitrogen and phosphorus in pollen and to return a significant proportion of each nutrient to its autotrophic host, Betula pendula. More than 75 and 96%, respectively, of the nitrogen and phosphorus were removed from pollen in microcosms containing the mycorrhizal fungus, 29 and 25%, respectively, being transferred to the plants. In contrast, in microcosms without the mycorrhizal fungus only 42 and 35%, respectively, of nitrogen and phosphorus were lost from the pollen, presumably as a result of export by saprotrophs, and only 12 and 7%, respectively, were transferred to the plants. We hypothesize that this process of resource recapture, by contributing significantly to the ability of the trees to sustain the necessary annual investment in pollen production, will have a major impact upon their reproductive capabilities and hence 'fitness'.