Regional and local patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and community structure along an altitudinal gradient in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran

A study of the Hyrcanian Forests, one of Eurasia's last temperate old-growth forests, reveals that ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity declines monotonically with altitude. This pattern mirrors broader trends seen in macroorganisms and is influenced by environmental energy limitations, which reduce competitive ability for rare species. The research combined morphological and molecular identification methods to analyze 367 fungal species across three altitudinal transects, finding that host species and altitude were the primary drivers of community composition at both local and regional scales. Climatic variables like mean annual temperature and precipitation, strongly correlated with altitude, also played a significant role in shaping these patterns. The study suggests further investigation into direct effects of climatic variables and their seasonality, particularly at larger spatial scales.

Bahram, M., Põlme, S., Kõljalg, U., Zarre, S., & Tedersoo, L. (2011). Regional and local patterns of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and community structure along an altitudinal gradient in the Hyrcanian forests of northern Iran. New Phytologist, 193(2), 465–473. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03927.x