Ectomycorrhizal fungi in New Zealand: current perspectives and future directions

The occurrence and host plant associations of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi in New Zealand are reviewed. Seventy-six genera of fungi thought to be ECM are recorded as associated with plants in New Zealand, including 1 zygomycete, 11 ascomycete, and 64 basidiomycete genera. Forty-two genera are recorded in association with Nothofagus spp., Leptospermum scoparium, and/or Kunzea ericoides. Ten genera are recorded in association only with introduced tree species (Pinus radiata, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and others) and 24 genera are associated with either native or introduced species. Generally, ECM fungal species have either native or introduced trees as hosts, but exceptions exist. In particular, Amanita muscaria is a potential unassessed threat to native ECM fungal communities. We review invasive ECM fungi and their roles in facilitating the invasion of introduced trees.