Plant-Microbe Interactions

**151**

**Chapter 10**

**Abstract**

conditions.

nitrogen uptake

**1. Introduction**

Ecosystems

Conservation of Edible

*Lu-Min Vaario and Norihisa Matsushita*

Ectomycorrhizal Mushrooms:

Understanding of the ECM

Fungi Mediated Carbon and

Nitrogen Movement within Forest

Most edible ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushrooms are currently harvested from nature and many of them are high-priced. Demand for the wild mushrooms as a culinary delicacy has stimulated research that aims to understand (1) the puzzled role that the ECM fungi play in the forest ecosystem, and (2) nutritional and other requirements for fruiting, which is highly variable. In this review, we focus on understanding of the ECM fungi mediated carbon and nitrogen movement between the symbiotic partners and on the interactions with other fungi in forest ecosystems. Thereby, we better understand the diverse nitrogen requirements for edible ECM fungal growth and mushroom fruiting. We attempt to provide a theoretical basis for the future research of edible ECM mushrooms in wild and controlled

**Keywords:** culture, cultivation, ectomycorrhizal fungi, edible mushrooms,

wood products as well as non-wood forest products have offered remarkable resources and benefits for the well-being of people [1, 2]. A healthy and wellgrowing forest system is largely dependent on available soil nutrients and efficient nutrient cycling [3, 4], especially nitrogen (N). As we know, nitrogen is a limiting

resource for plant growth in many temperate forests.

Forests play a crucial role in the global environment and economy. Forest-based

Nitrogen is necessary for plants. Most crops require N relatively high amounts, but only a small amount of available N is present in soil at a time. A large source of soil N is the atmospheric dinitrogen (N2), the major gas of air (79%) [5]. Only certain microorganisms can bind molecular nitrogen from air. All other organisms need to take up nitrogen from soil. Soil organic matter (especially humus) acts as a storage and supplier of nitrogen for plant roots and microorganisms;

#### **Chapter 10**
