Morphologic and genetic characterization of ectomycorrhizae formed by Pinus rnontezumae and spore bank fungi in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt

Ectomycorrhizal fungi are keystone in temperate forest establishment and functioning. Some of them have resistant and long living spores and propagules. These use to accumulate in soil, forming the so-called spore banks, which are the main inoculum resource after an intense disturbance. In this paper, we provide the morphological and genetic characterization of ectomycorrhizae formed by Prints rnontezumae and the spore bank fungi from the Transmexican Volcanic Belt. We made a bioassay with P montezumae and soil from 9 of the most representative volcanoes. Mycorrhizae were dissected after 7 months of seedling grow in a nursery. We identified the fungi by means of the genetic similarity of their ITS region sequences. We provide the description of 27 morphotypes, 20 of which had not been previously described. Geopora sp., Hebeloma helodes, H leucosarx, Peziza sp. 1, P aff ostracoderrna, Pezizaceae sp. 1, sp. 2, sp. 4, Pulvinula constellatio, Sebacina sp. 1, sp. 2, Sordariales sp. 1, sp. 2 and Tuber separans are reported for the first time in spore banks. The ectomycorrhizal fungi characterized could be used in reforestation using native plants and fungi. This would enhance plant survival due to the physiological adaptations of both symbionts to local environmental conditions.