SPATIAL SPOROPHORE PATTERN OF ECTOMYCORRHIZAL FUNGI IN A HORNBEAM (CARPINUS-BETULUS L) FOREST

Relationships between the spatial distributions of the 15 most frequent ectomycorrhizal macrofungal species were studied over a 5 year period using 100 permanent plots (5 m2) in a pure stand of Carpinus betulus in south Sweden. Highly significant negative relations were obtained between the sporophore production of most of the species. In particular, the species of Russula and Lactarius (Russula cyanoxantha, Russula delica, Russula nigricans, Russula ochroleuca, Lactarius aurantiacus, Lactarius circellatus, Lactarius decipiens) tended to exclude each other, whereas only Laccaria amethystina, Laccaria laccata and Cortinarius paleaceus seemed to be unrelated to the occurrence of other taxa. No positive relationships between spatial patterns of fungi were observed.