Root-associated ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in and around aggregated retention patches left in logged areas of Abies sachalinensis planted forests.

An aggregated retention system retains several groups of trees within cutblocks to maintain public functions such as biodiversity conservation. We examined ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungal communities associated with regenerating Abies sachalinensis seedlings and their surrounding trees at different locations; inside and at the edge of the retained patches, and in clear-cut areas 10 and 50 m from the edge. The EcM fungi on the roots were grouped into operational taxonomic units (OTU) based on the similarity of their ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. Higher OTU richness was found inside (63 OTUs) and at the edge of the patches (59 OTUs) compared to clear-cut areas (33 or 25 OTUs). The ordination analysis inferred that location may influence the EcM fungal communities. However, further studies with more site replications are needed to clarify the effects of the patches on shaping EcM fungal communities.