Ectomycorrhizal community structure in a xeric Quercus woodland based on rDNA sequence analysis of sporocarps and pooled roots

Quercus woodlands are key components of California's wild landscapes, yet little is known about ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi in these ecosystems. We examined the EM community associated with Quercus douglasii using sporocarp surveys and by pooling EM roots and subjecting them to DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) screening and DNA sequencing. Ectomycorrhizal root symbionts were sampled four times in 2003-04. During this time, the below-ground community structure was relatively stable; we found no evidence of taxa adapted to winter or spring conditions and only one species varied widely in occurrence between years. The EM community from sporocarps and roots was diverse (161 species), rich in Ascomycota (46 species), and dominated by fungi with cryptic sporocarps. This included a large number of resupinate and hypogeous taxa, many of which were detected both above- and below-ground.