Ectomycorrhizal community structure in a healthy and a Phytophthora-infected chestnut (Castanea sativa Mill.) stand in central Italy

Ink disease caused by Phytophthora cambivora is a major disease of sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa). In two C. sativa stands in central Italy, one (Montesanti) that is infected with P. cambivora and the trees showing symptoms of ink disease and another healthy stand (Puzzella), the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) community structure was investigated. On the roots of the surviving trees of the diseased stand, 29 different ECM species were determined compared to 23 in the healthy stand. Eleven ECM species were common to both stands; however, a number of species were unique to one of the stands. Cenococcum geophilum was dominant at both sites, but the percentage colonisation was much higher at Montesanti (40.8%) compared to Puzzella (27.2%). There was a switch in species from Russula vesca, Russula lepida and Russula azurea at Puzzella to Russula nigricans, R. lepida and Russula delica at Montesanti. Both R. vesca and R. azurea were found only at the Puzzella site. At the diseased site, the ECMs formed had a smaller root tip diameter, and the ECM at the healthy site had more abundant extramatrical hyphae.