Diversity of types of ectomycorrhizae on Norway spruce in Slovenia

Types of ectomycorrhizae on Norway spruce have been studied in different fo rest ecosystems in Slovenia. In approximately 100.000 root tips sampled 29 types have been identified or comprehensively described by anatomical and m olecular characteristics, 4 could be identified to the genus level, while m ore than 20 types still await comprehensive characterisation. From these da ta diversity indexes (species diversity (d) and Shannon-Weaver index of div ersity (H)) were calculated. The highest diversity was found in an autochth onous altimontane spruce stand on Pokljuka, lower in anthropogenic montane spruce stands in Mislinja and Zavodnje, while the lowest diversity was foun d in anthropogenic altimontane spruce stands, overgrown by grasses, on Poho rje. Forestry practice and its consequences, such as compact grass undercov er, has been suggested to have a great impact on biodiversity of the mycorr hizal component in the forest soils. We propose a hypothesis that in natura l pure spruce stands an extreme diversity in the mycorrhizosphere of the fo rest soils can counterpart the lower diversity among the higher plants.