ECTOMYCORRHIZAL VS ENDOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI WITHIN THE SAME ROOT SYSTEM

Vesicular-arbuscular (VA) mycorrhizal fungi and ectomycorrhizal fungi were observed together in the same root system, and even within the same root apices, of seedlings of Eucalyptus dumosa A. Cunn. ex Schau. On a population basis, there was a succession of two overlapping mycorrhizal epidemics-VA mycorrhizas followed by ectomycorrhizas. This succession was interpreted as follows. Early build-up of VA mycorrhizas was related to initial higher inoculum potential of that fungus and to rapidity of colonization of individual roots. The ectomycorrhizal fungus was more successful later in achieving secondary infections by hyphal spread and in colonization of lateral root branches. The ectomycorrhizal fungus had no difficulty infecting pre-existing VA mycorrhizas, but the ectomycorrhizal sheath provided a barrier to subsequent VA mycorrhizal infections. While the proportion of VA mycorrhizas to ectomycorrhizas changed between two and five months, the overall proportion of mycorrhizal roots remained constant, suggesting that there could be competition between the different fungi for limiting substrate.