1. Mycelial communities associated with Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus pubescens and Pinus nigra in a patchy Sub-Mediterranean Karst woodlandTanja Mrak, Philip Alan Brailey-Crane, Nataša Šibanc, Tijana Martinović, Jožica Gričar, Hojka Kraigher, 2025, original scientific article Abstract: Common mycorrhizal networks of ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi could be of great benefit to trees growing in the shallow soils of Sub-Mediterranean Karst ecosystems, potentially playing a crucial role in the survival of trees in this harsh environment. The first step to confirm the existence of such networks is to assess the extent and nature of symbiont sharing in the mycelial community. To address this question, we incubated in-growth mesh bags under the native Ostrya carpinifolia and Quercus pubescens, and the non-native Pinus nigra, over two consecutive years. In Q. pubescens and P. nigra, but not in O. carpinifolia, mycelium production was significantly higher in the year with higher spring precipitation, indicating the influence of climatic conditions, but also the identity of the host tree. We observed a complex interaction between tree species and sampling year in structuring the composition and diversity of mycelial communities. Local environmental conditions contributed additionally and were responsible for 21.46% of the community variation between samples. Although ~ 70% of fungal operational taxonomic units were shared across the studied tree species, distinct community compositions emerged, emphasizing the role of host tree specificity. Q. pubescens exhibited greater stability in EcM richness between sampling years, whereas P. nigra showed lower EcM richness, likely due to limited availability of compatible fungi and reliance on introduced fungal partners. Additionally, differences in EcM fungal exploration strategies were observed. O. carpinifolia and Q. pubescens mainly hosted non-specific EcM fungi with short distance exploration types. In contrast, EcM fungi of P. nigra had higher spatial spread, and were predominantly conifer specific. Overall, our results emphasize the importance of host specificity, soil parameters, spatial proximity, and climatic variability for the structuring of mycelial communities in fragmented forests.
Keywords: ectomycorrhizal fungi, mesh bags, exploration strategies, hop-hornbeam, Pubescent oak, European black pine
Published in DiRROS: 30.07.2025; Views: 403; Downloads: 269
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2. Non-native forest tree species in Europe : ǂthe ǂquestion of seed origin in afforestationParaskevi Alizoti, Jean-Charles Bastien, Debojyoti Chakraborty, Marcin Miroslav Klisz, Johan Kroon, Charalambos Neophytou, Silvio Schueler, Marcela van Loo, Marjana Westergren, Monika Konnert, Robert Brus, 2022, original scientific article Abstract: Non-native forest tree species have been introduced in Europe since the 16th century, but only in the second half of the 20th century the significance of the seed source origin for their economic use was recognized, resulting in the establishment of numerous provenance trials at a national, regional, European and International level, as those led by IUFRO. Breeding programs have also been launched in the continent for the most economically important species. Aim of this work is the formulation of provenance recommendations for planting of five non-native tree species in Europe (Douglas fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine and black locust), based on the information obtained from twenty countries, in the frame of the EU FP-1403 NNEXT Cost Action. The survey revealed that official and non-official national recommendations, based on provenance research results, have been elaborated and followed at a different level and extend for the above five species, but only for Douglas fir recommendations exist in almost all the participating to the survey countries. The compilation of provenance recommendations across Europe for each species is presented in the current work. Besides the recommended introduced seed sources, European seed sources are also preferred for planting, due to ease of access and high availability of forest reproductive material. European breeding programs yielding genetic material of high productivity and quality constitute currently the seed source of choice for several species and countries. Consolidation of trial data obtained across countries will allow the joint analysis that is urgently needed to draw solid conclusions, and will facilitate the development of ‘Universal-Response-Functions’ for the species of interest, rendering possible the identification of the genetic material suitable for global change. New provenance trial series that will test seed sources from the entire climatic range of the species, established in sites falling within and outside the environmental envelopes of their natural ranges, are urgently needed to pinpoint and understand the species-specific climate constraints, as well as to correlate functional traits to the seed origin and the environmental conditions of the test sites, so that the selection of suitable forest reproductive material of non-native tree species in the face of climate change can be feasible.
Keywords: provenance recommendations, provenance testing, breeding programs, adaptation, exotic tree species, Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, grand fir, lodgepole pine, black locust
Published in DiRROS: 09.02.2022; Views: 1841; Downloads: 1572
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3. Resin yield of Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris in the Slovenian KarstDomen Gajšek, Miha Brecelj, Kristjan Jarni, Robert Brus, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: The aim of our research was to study the impact of various environmental factors on the resin production of pines in the Slovenian Karst. Five plots were established % three in Pinus nigra (Arnold) stands and two in Pinus sylvestris (L.) stands. On each plot, the 19-20 most vigorous dominant or codominant trees with a minimum diameter at breast height (DBH) of 20 cm were selected and their resin yield analysed in 2012. Resin yield in P. nigra was considerably higher than that in P. sylvestris. The average resin yield per tree during the study period of 102 days was 1.144 kg for P. nigra and 0.612 for P. sylvestris. There were substantial differences in resin yield among individual trees in the study period: 0.336-2.487 kg for P. nigra and 0.249-1.270 kg for P. sylvestris. The resin yield in P. nigra was considerably higher for the trees with larger DBH, while this was not the case in P. sylvestris. Tree species was the most important factor in resin yield. Increased precipitation resulted in higher resin yields on most plots, whereas better site productivity positively affected resin yield on all P. nigra plots but not on P. sylvestris plots.
Keywords: Black pine, Scots pine, resin production, resin yield, Slovenian Karst
Published in DiRROS: 05.07.2018; Views: 7078; Downloads: 4099
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