Kevin J. Beiler

Hochschule für nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde · Faculty of Forest and Environment

*The role of mycorrhizal networks in forest dynamics is poorly understood because of the elusiveness of their spatial structure. We mapped the belowground distribution of the fungi Rhizopogon vesiculosus and Rhizopogon vinicolor and interior Douglas-fir trees (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) to determine the architecture of a mycorrhizal network...

Understanding ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) community structure is limited by a lack of taxonomic resolution and autecological information. Rhizopogon vesiculosus and Rhizopogon vinicolor (Basidiomycota) are morphologically and genetically related species. They are dominant members of interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) EMF comm...

Mycorrhizal networks, defined as a common mycorrhizal mycelium linking the roots of at least two plants, occur in all major terrestrial ecosystems. This review discusses the recent progress and challenges in our understanding of the characteristics, functions, ecology and models of mycorrhizal networks, with the goal of encouraging future research...

From the phytocentric perspective, a mycorrhizal network ( MN ) is formed when the roots of two or more plants are colonized by the same fungal genet. MN s can be modelled as interaction networks with plants as nodes and fungal genets as links. The potential effects of MN s on facilitation or competition between plants are increasingly recognized,...

1. Mycorrhizal networks are conduits for the transfer of resources between hosts. While ectomycorrhizal networks (EMN) are known to influence seedlings, their effect on adult tree growth remains unknown and may have important implications for forest responses to future climates. 2. We used annual basal area increment of trees and previously descr...

Rhizopogon vesiculosus and Rhizopogon vinicolor are sister species of ectomycorrhizal fungi that associate exclusively with Douglas-fir (DF). They form tuberculate mycorrhizas and they can be easily distinguished using molecular tools. We are not aware of studies relating their relative abundance in forests with different age classes. Our objective...

Summary 1. Carbon (C), nutrients and water (H2O) have been known for five decades to flow between plants through ectomycorrhizal (EM) networks. This flux has the potential to affect plant and fungal performance and resource distribution within communities. 2. We asked two questions: 1) What are the pathways and mechanisms for C, nutrient and H2O fl...

Ektomykorrhizapilze sind wichtige Symbionten bei der Gesunderhaltung von Baumschulgehölzen. Die Populationsdynamik ist in der Pflanzenproduktion in den Quartieren wesentlich höher als an urbanen Standorten. Dennoch sollte es gelingen, die Bedingungen der Vorproduktion auf spätere Eigenschaften anzupassen. Die Förderung von Mykorrhizapilzen und ihre...

Environmental stress factors common among urban environments can pose a challenge to maintaining healthy soil microbial communities. For example, the winter application of de-icing salts may directly inhibit certain ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) species, or act indirectly by affecting host tree health, leading to deficient EMF communities over time....

Mykorrhizapilze tragen auf vielfältige Weise zur Entwicklung und Gesundheit von Pflanzen bei. Ihre Bedeutung in der Gehölzproduktion ist seit Jahren in der Diskussion, dabei fehlt es an praxisnahen Erkenntnissen sowie an nachgewiesenen Effekten in den unterschiedlichen Phasen der Gehölzproduktion sowie im Handel. Von Interesse sind hierbei nicht nu...

Background/Question/Methods Attempts to understand forest dynamics have focused primarily on resource competition among trees, resulting in poor predictions of forest regeneration, succession and productivity in changing environments. Mycorrhizal networks, or connections between two or more plants through a single fungal mycelium, are increasingly...