Spatial distribution of ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi in relation with Shorea leprosula Miq. seedling survival in dipterocarp forest
A central question in community ecology and conservation of highly diverse tropical forests concerns the control of the ability of tree species to coexist. This study explores the possible feedback mechanisms that control Shorea leprosula seedling regenerations and survival. This study also pr...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2016
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/67240/1/IPTPH%202016%205%20IR.pdf |
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| Summary: | A central question in community ecology and conservation of highly diverse
tropical forests concerns the control of the ability of tree species to coexist. This
study explores the possible feedback mechanisms that control Shorea
leprosula seedling regenerations and survival. This study also proposes a
model of asymmetric ectomycorrhizal (EM) positive feedbacks that relies on the
assumption of a niche differentiation between EM fungi (EMf) linked to
seedlings and EMf linked to EM canopy trees.
This study conducted on a deductive basis of how the mecanisms involved
might be supported by the distributions of S. leprosula seedlings after a
masting event, the percentage of seedling ectomycorrhization and the
distributions of saplings below 1 cm diameter that established during previous
masting events. Two hypotheses were considered. The first is that the
distributions of ectomycorrhizas give benefits to S. leprosula seedlings survival
correspond to the presence of ectomycorrhizal networks associated to
ectomycorrhizal canopy trees. The second is that S. leprosula seedlings
survival benefits from ectomycorhizal associations that are independent from
the distribution of ectomycorrhizal canopy trees and facilitated by the presence
of large saprophytic fungi. Spatial variations of S. leprosula seedlings
ectomycorrhizal rate didn’t support with the first hypothesis. Seedlings
ectomycorrhizal rates only increased near to parent trees but not near other
ectomycorrhizal canopy trees. Similarly, S. leprosula saplings distributions
believed to witness seedling survival from previous masting events were either
not correlated or negatively correlated with the distribution of ectomycorrhizal
canopy trees.
Whereas, the revelation of putative mat-forming and foraging ectomycorrhizal
fungi in association with saprophytic fungi agreed with the second hypothesis. These traits, observed for the first time in a Southeast Asian lowland rainforests
concord with a possible ecological niche differentiation between
ectomycorrhizal fungi linked to canopy trees and ectomycorrhizal fungi
succeeding to saprophytic fungi and possibly contributing to S. leprosula
seedling survival. |
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