Are ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Alnus of importance for forest development in wet environment?

In the present paper we discuss the potential importance of ectomycorrhizal fungi associated with Alnus species for forest development in wet environm ents. We discuss the current state of knowledge and open questions about th e ecology and functional role of ectomycorrhizal symbionts of Alnus under w et conditions. Possible approaches to investigate the ectomycorrhizal fungi in wet forest ecosystems are presented. Particularly, we concentrate on we t alder carr forests in Europe serving as a model forest ecosystem.