The ectomycorrhizal associations of Larix laricina (Du Roi) (tamarack) K. Koch and Betula glandulosa Michaux (scrub birch) seedlings in peatlands of central British Columbia.

Peatlands are habitats where peat accumulation exceeds decomposition, resulting in poorly drained, nutrient-poor and acidic soils. Tamarack (Larix laricina, family Pinaceae), a deciduous conifer, and scrub birch (Betula glandulosa, family Betulaceae), a low-lying deciduous shrub, are two plant species well adapted to the cold climates and short growing seasons of Central British Columbia and generally able to tolerate the wet, poorly drained soils of peatlands. Ectomycorrhizas are mutualistic associations formed between plant roots and symbiotic fungi ectomycorrhizal fungi that facilitate nutrient acquisition and water uptake in exchange for host carbon, may play an important role in the survival of these species. This study characterized tamarack and scrub birch ectomycorrhizas in three different peatland habitats using morphological (light microscopy) and molecular analysis (PCR-RFLP) methods. Ectomycorrhizal morphotypes and corresponding genotypes (fragment patterns) are described and ideas of host and peatland site specificity are explored. Results suggest that ectomycorrhizal colonization in peatland habitats may be similar to that for other hosts in other habitat types. Both morphology and molecular results indicate a high potential for ectomycorrhizal fungal linkages between hosts. This study presents the first published information on ectomycorrhizal associations of scrub birch.