The ectomycorrhizal community of urban linden trees in Gdańsk, Poland

Abstract

The linden tree (Tilia spp.) is a popular tree for landscaping and urban environments in central and northwest European countries, and it is one of the most popular in cities in Poland. Ectomycorrhizal fungi form a symbiosis with many urban tree species and protect the host plant from heavy metals and against salinity. The aim of this study was to characterise the ECM fungal community of urban linden trees along the tree damage gradient. The study was performed on two sites located in the centre of the city of Gdańsk, in northern Poland. The vitality assessment of urban linden trees was made according to Roloff’s classification. Tree damage classes were related to soil characteristics using principal component analysis. The five ectomycorrhizal fungal species were shared among all four tree damage classes, and Cenococcum geophilum was found to be the most abundant and frequent ectomycorrhizal fungal species in each class. Soil samples collected in the vicinity of trees belonging to the R0 class had significantly lower pH Na, Cl and Pb content than other soils. Our knowledge of ectomycorrhizal communities in urban areas is still limited, and these findings provide new insights into ectomycorrhizal distribution patterns in urban areas.

Potential hazard characteristics of trees with hollows, cavities and fruiting bodies growing along pedestrian routes

“…Within each, there was a statistically significant difference in the breaking strength of the trunk with almost 50% hollow trees (mean 1242%). The weakened vigour can be explained by the response to difficult site conditions as a species with low-stress tolerance 3 , 22 , 23 . Because urban roadway conditions are characterised by compacted soils, elevated pH, and heavy metal concentrations 80 , it is likely that tree roots near roadways are also damaged.…”

“…Trunk decay, in the form of a cavity, is a typical feature of old trees 18 , 19 , but few street trees reach this age 20 , 21 . As trees which line streets are exposed to more extreme conditions than trees located along sidewalks in urban parks 22 , 23 , there is an increased risk of them developing cavities due to their sensitive location.…”

Ectomycorrhizal Networks in the Anthropocene: From Natural Ecosystems to Urban Planning

“…Thus, the role of soil chemical signature as one of the main drivers of the composition, diversity, temporal dynamics and spatial patterns of ECM fungal communities has been widely documented in forest ecosystems (e.g., Lilleskov et al, 2011 for a review; Courty et al, 2016 for a functional perspective). Unsurprinsingly, in urban as in forest soils, the vegetative development ( Olchowik et al, 2021 ), and the species richness ( Newbound et al, 2012 ; Martinová et al, 2016 ; Van Geel et al, 2018 ) of ECM communities are negatively affected by soil alkalinity, and positively respond to organic matter and moisture content ( Van Geel et al, 2018 ). The consistent pattern of ECM richness decrease and the composition drift observed in urban soils have then to be considered in light of (1) currently widespread practices along city roads, including deicing salts contributing to the alkalization of urban soils ( Czerniawska-Kusza et al, 2004 ) and (2) the critically low organic matter content in city soils, in particular in sealed contexts ( Scharenbroch et al, 2005 ; Alzetta et al, 2012 ), and its deleterious consequences on the establishment of species with affinities for organic soils (e.g., Genney et al, 2006 ; Kranabetter et al, 2009 ).…”

The effect of moisture content over the fibre saturation points on the impact strength of wood

“…The article focuses on the impact behaviour of linden wood ( Tilia × europaea ), which is favourable for landscaping and urban forestry due to its benefits and unique characteristics which fit urban areas [ 1 ]. Enhancing our understanding of linden can significantly improve city safety and reduce accidents attributed to these trees.…”