Mycobiota of the Rhizosphere of Vaccinium Shrubs in a Pine Forest in the Early Months after a Ground Fire

Abstract

Abstract Ground fires are a frequent phenomenon in boreal forests. Scotch pine (Pinus sylvestris), as a major climax species, plays a key ecological role within these ecosystems. The soil and rhizosphere microbiome exerts a significant influence on the postfire recovery of pine forest ecosystems. Mycorrhizal species are among the most vulnerable components of this community, often undetectable within the first year following a surface fire. At the same time, together with endophytic fungi, they contribute to the accelerated restoration of the soil cover and enhance the survival rate of pine seedlings. A comparative analysis of the rhizosphere mycobiota of Vaccinium myrtillus growing at a site affected by a surface fire three months earlier and at the fire boundary revealed the presence of endophytic fungi within the shrub roots, including representatives of the genera Penicillium, occasional isolates of Fusarium and Phomopsis, and members of the orders Hypocreales and Ophiocordyceps. These findings indicate that the early postfire recovery of Vaccinium shrubs may rely primarily on endophytic fungal species, while at later successional stages the process likely depends on the establishment of ectendo- and ericoid mycorrhizal associations.