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The Chilean matorral is a heavily threatened Mediterranean-type ecosystem due to human-related activities such as anthropogenic fires. Mycorrhizal fungi may be the key microorganisms to help plants cope with environmental stress and improve the restoration of degraded ecosystems. However, the application of mycorrhizal fungi in the restoration of the Chilean matorral is limited because of insufficient local information. Consequently, we assessed the effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on the survival and photosynthesis at set intervals for two years after a fire event in four native woody plant species, namely: Peumus boldus, Quillaja saponaria, Cryptocarya alba, and Kageneckia oblonga, all dominant species of the matorral. Additionally, we assessed the enzymatic activity of three enzymes and macronutrient in the soil in mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. The results showed that mycorrhizal inoculation increased survival in all studied species after a fire and increased photosynthesis in all, but not in P. boldus. Additionally, the soil associated with mycorrhizal plants had higher enzymatic activity and macronutrient levels in all species except in Q. saponaria, in which there was no significant mycorrhization effect. The results suggest that mycorrhizal fungi could increase the fitness of plants used in restoration initiatives after severe disturbances such as fires and, consequently, should be considered for restoration programs of native species in threatened Mediterranean ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversity of orchid mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) and other beneficial root-associated fungi in temperate forests has scarcely been examined. This study aimed to analyze the diversity of mycorrhizal and rhizosphere-associated fungal communities in the terrestrial orchids Gavilea lutea and Chloraea collicensis growing in high-orchid-population-density areas in the piedmont of the Andes Cordillera with native forest (Nothofagus-Araucaria) and Coastal Cordillera with an exotic plantation (Pinus-Eucalyptus) in south-central Chile. We focused on rhizosphere-inhabiting and peloton-associated OMF in a native forest (Andes Cordillera) and a mixed forest (Coastal Cordillera). The native terrestrial orchids G. lutea and C. collicensis were localized, mycorrhizal root segments were taken to isolate peloton-associated OMF, and rhizosphere soil was taken to perform the metabarcoding approach. The results revealed that Basidiomycota and Ascomycota were the main rhizosphere-inhabiting fungal phyla, showing significant differences in the composition of fungal communities in both sites. Sebacina was the most-abundant OMF genera in the rhizosphere of G. lutea growing in the native forest soil. In contrast, Thanatephorus was the most abundant mycorrhizal taxa growing in the rhizosphere of orchids from the Coastal Cordillera. Besides, other OMF genera such as Inocybe, Tomentella, and Mycena were detected. The diversity of OMF in pelotons differed, being mainly related to Ceratobasidium sp. and Tulasnella sp. These results provide evidence of differences in OMF from pelotons and the rhizosphere soil in G. lutea growing in the Andes Cordillera and a selection of microbial communities in the rhizosphere of C. collicensis in the Coastal Cordillera. This raises questions about the efficiency of propagation strategies based only on mycorrhizal fungi obtained by culture-dependent methods, especially in orchids that depend on non-culturable taxa for seed germination and plantlet development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orchids require mycorrhizal fungi (OMF) for their germination and growth. Propagation and re-introduction initiatives would likely require inoculation with such fungi. All Chilean Orchidaceae species are terrestrial and likely associate with OMF. We collected adult individuals of the endemic Chilean orchid Chloraea gavilu and transported them to a glasshouse where we obtained mature capsules through manual auto-pollination. We asymbiotically germinated seeds in vitro using Malmgren Modified Terrestrial Orchid-Medium (MM). Embryos were put in glass flasks with MM where roots and leaves developed for 16 weeks. Plants were then transplanted to 165 mL pots and randomly separated into three groups; plants inoculated separately with Ceratobasidium OMFs isolated from two Chilean orchid species (Chloraea virescens and Codonorchis lessonii), and uninoculated (control) plants. Plants were then put in a growth chamber. Three months later, inoculated individuals showed pelotons inside parenchyma cells in the roots. Four months after inoculation, mycorrhizal plants had higher root and shoot biomass compared to control plants. At the end of the experiment, the highest mycorrhization was achieved with the Ceratobasidium strain isolated from C. lessonii. The artificial mycorrhization of endemic orchids could be a key strategy for future conservation and propagation initiatives, especially for endangered or commercially interesting species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Orchids are obligate mycoheterotrophic plants, relying on fungal nutrient resources to grow for their entire life or until they develop into photosynthetic seedlings. In Chile, orchids are represented by 7 genera and 63 species, 27 of which are endemic. Some Chilean species are considered endangered or rare, but many are insufficiently known. This study aims to isolate, culture, and identify fungal species found in symbiosis with the endemic Chilean orchids Chloraea collicensis Kraenzl. and Chloraea gavilu Lindl. for their potential to be used in future conservation programs. Roots of both species of orchids were collected in the field and those presenting pelotons were firstly cultured in agar-water and thereafter sub-cultured in potato dextrose agar media. Fungal colony growth was measured under the dissecting microscope. Fungal isolates from C. gavilu showed a higher growth rate than isolates from C. collicensis and could be used as inoculum for seed germination in further studies. Isolated colonies showed morphological characteristics of the form genus Rhizoctonia and presented two nuclei per cell. The ITS-nrDNA sequences confirmed their morphological identification as species of Tulasnella. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]