ROLE OF ECTOMYCORRHIZA IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS: A REVIEW

The fungal symbionts forming ectomycorrhizas benefit forest trees in a number of ways. The ectomycorrhizal fungi form as an important component of forest ecosystem. It contributes to a number of key ecosystem functions such as carbon cycling, nutrient mobilization from soil organic matter to soil minerals and also linking trees through their common mycorrhizal networks. The mycorrhizal association is mostly applied to nursery seedlings and has been successfully used in reforestation programs through mycorrhizal inoculation techniques. In this review it discusses the possibility of working in forest settings. The approach should help in developing a research based on the functional ecology of ectomycorrhiza and its implications on managing the effects of climate change on forests.