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Genetic Analysis of Boletus edulis Suggests that Intra-specific Competition May Reduce Local Genetic Diversity as a Woodland Ages

Summary

This research investigated how the genetic diversity of porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis) changes as forests age. The study found that younger forests contain a greater variety of different genetic strains of porcini, while older forests tend to have fewer strains that dominate the area. This suggests that as forests mature, competition between different mushroom strains leads to some becoming more successful while others die out or stop producing mushrooms. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps explain why certain forests are better for mushroom foraging than others • Provides insights that could improve cultivation of edible mushrooms • Contributes to understanding forest ecosystem development and management • Suggests timing and locations for optimal wild mushroom harvesting • Informs conservation strategies for maintaining mushroom diversity

Background

Ectomycorrhizal fungi (ECM) are important components of terrestrial ecosystems, associated with and aiding the growth of many dominant tree species in temporal and boreal forests. They play crucial roles in nutrient recycling and the global carbon cycle. Despite their importance, relatively little is known about their population structure, genetic diversity and mating systems. Boletus edulis, known as penny bun or porcini, is one of the world’s most commercially important wild mushrooms and offers an excellent system to investigate fungal population structure.

Objective

To investigate the fine-scale relatedness structure and genetic diversity of Boletus edulis through microsatellite genotyping of fruiting bodies from multiple sites, and to examine how genetic diversity relates to woodland age.

Results

The study found little population structure over several kilometers but evidence for elevated relatedness and inbreeding at local scales. A significant negative association was observed between genetic diversity of fruiting bodies and the age of trees under which they were sampled. The sampling sites showed considerable variation in both total number of sporocarps produced and number of genets. Each genet was on average represented by 2.5 sporocarps, with ratios ranging from 1.43 in the youngest site to 7 in the oldest site.

Conclusion

The results suggest that as genets mature, they compete and potentially create conditions under which further spores struggle to become established. New stands of trees are colonized by high diversity genets, whose representation progressively diminishes with increasing tree age. Even though this species is widely picked, propagules remain common enough to create strong competition when new habitats become available.
  • Published in:Royal Society Open Science,
  • Study Type:Field Research Study,
  • Source: 10.1098/rsos.200419
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