Habitat-driven variation in mycorrhizal communities in the terrestrial orchid genus Dactylorhiza.

ABSTRACT: Orchid species are critically dependent on mycorrhizal fungi for completion of their life cycle, particularly during the early stages of their development when nutritional resources are scarce. As such, orchid mycorrhizal fungi play an important role in the population dynamics, abundance, and spatial distribution of orchid species. However, less is known about the ecology and distribution of orchid mycorrhizal fungi. In this study, we used 454 amplicon pyrosequencing to investigate ecological and geographic variation in mycorrhizal associations in fourteen species of the orchid genus Dactylorhiza. More specifically, we tested the hypothesis that variation in orchid mycorrhizal communities resulted primarily from differences in habitat conditions where the species were growing. The results

SUBMITTER: Jacquemyn H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5121631 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature