SITE RELATIONSHIPS OF ARMILLARIA SPECIES IN NEW-YORK

A statewide investigation was conducted to determine site relationships of Armillaria species in New York forests. Armillaria was found in 211 of 303 stands sampled. A. calvescens was found mainly at northern hardwood sites with Acer saccharum. A. gallica was found primarily at upland oak sites with soils that were low in organic matter and had high p Hs. This species was found more frequently than expected by chance on dry sites. A. ostoyae occurred principally at spruce-fir sites with soils that were higher in sand, lower in silt and clay, higher in organic matter, and had lower p Hs of the organic horizon than soils for most other species. A. sinapina showed no strong relationships with a forest type group but, compared with other Armillaria species, was found at sites with higher relative dominance and relative density of Betula alleghaniensis. It was found at sites with the same soil properties as those with A. ostoyae. A. gemina was a rare species found at hardwood sites and, compared with other Armillaria species, was found at sites with higher relative dominance of Fagus grandifolia and Pinus spp. A. mellea sensu stricto was not found in any of the study sites.