“Very little is known about the composition and resilience of ECM fungi in symbiosis with native hosts, except for Scots pine and mountain shrubs, and also the factors that influence their distributions”

Researchers at the James Hutton Institute and the University of Aberdeen are exploring the relationship between ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and native tree species in Scotland. The study will also determine which climatic and environmental factors influence their distribution.

ECM fungi form beneficial associations with the roots of many plant species, in particular trees: the fungi take up nutrients from the soil and pass on some of these to the host plants in return for sugars. The fungi are therefore essential components of many terrestrial ecosystems.

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This article was originally posted by The James Hutton Institute