Effects of Stand Thinning on Edible Ectomycorrhizal Fungi in the Pacific

Northwest

Sebastian Balogh

FS 533

Ectomycorrhizal fungi in the PNW

• Ectomycorrhizal: form a sheath around root tips, with hyphae growing inward.

• Important to ecology

• Important to local economy- golden and white chanterelles, hedgehog, American matsutake, truffles, Boletus species.

• Chanterelles: $3.6 million in 1992 in OR, WA,ID

• Douglas-fir is a common host, so silvicultural treatments are likely to affect associated fungi populations

• Removal of trees can have an impact for several reasons:– Reduction of host abundance– Light penetration– Rain infiltration and water supply– Compaction of soil by equipment

• Pilz et al. (2006)

– Effects of thinning on Chanterelle productivity in Oregon Cascades

– Two thinning intensities and a control

– Stands were about 50 years old, 250 tpa unthinned, 100-120 tpa after light thinning, and about 50 tpa after heavy thinning.

– Sampling of chanterelle fruiting bodies before thinning, successive years after thinning.

Effects on productivity only significant for a few years

Conclusions:• Significance/power of results?• Short-term impact

• co-management for edible ectomycorrhizal fungi productivity and other goals