Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine

The role of mycorrhizal fungi in the stability and adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems in the Carpathian region

Ivanna Kulbanska*

kulbanska@nubip.edu.ua

Download article
Abstract

Forest ecosystems of the Carpathian region were characterised by high biodiversity; however, they were increasingly affected by climate change and anthropogenic pressures, leading to a decline in their stability. Under these conditions, understanding the role of mycorrhizal fungi was essential, as they were key drivers of ecosystem functioning. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of mycorrhizal associations in maintaining the stability and adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems dominated by Abies alba. A high diversity of mycorrhiza-forming fungi was identified in the studied forest stands, with ectomycorrhizal symbionts accounting for approximately 80-85% of the total species composition. Mycorrhizal colonisation ranged from 40% to 80% depending on stand type and environmental conditions. The highest colonisation levels were recorded in pure fir stands (72.5%) and in ecologically stable sites with well-developed soils, whereas in disturbed stands this parameter decreased to 47.2%. A close relationship was found between mycorrhizal colonisation intensity and tree vitality: healthy trees exhibited an average colonisation level of 72.3%, while severely weakened trees showed only 37.8%. The obtained results confirmed the important role of mycorrhizal associations in increasing tree resistance to abiotic stress and maintaining the functional stability of forest ecosystems. The practical significance of the results lay in the possibility of using mycorrhizal colonisation intensity as an indicator of stand condition and of considering the role of mycorrhizal associations, when planning forest management measures aimed at increasing forest resilience

Keywords

ectomycorrhiza; fungal diversity; tree vitality; edaphic factors; abiotic stress; soil conditions; symbiotic interactions

Suggested citation
Kulbanska, I. (2026). The role of mycorrhizal fungi in the stability and adaptive capacity of forest ecosystems in the Carpathian region. Scientific Reports of the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, 22(4),52-64. https://doi.org/10.31548/dopovidi/4.2026.52
References
  1. Abbott, L.K., & Murphy, D.V. (Eds.). (2007). Soil biological fertility: A key to sustainable land use in agriculture. Dordrecht: Springer. doi: 0.1007/978-1-4020-6619-1.
  2. Amaranthus, M.P. (1998). The importance and conservation of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity in forest ecosystems: Lessons from Europe and the Pacific Northwest. In General technical report PNW-GTR-431. Portland: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. doi: 10.2737/PNW-GTR-431.
  3. Arévalo, Y., Avila-Salem, M.E., Loján, P., Urgiles-Gómez, N., Pucha-Cofrep, D., Aguirre, N., & Benavidez-Silva, C. (2025). Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the ecological restoration of tropical forests: A bibliometric review. Forests, 16(8), article number 1266. doi: 10.3390/f16081266.
  4. Burns, R. (Ed.). (2009). Plant pathology: Techniques and protocols. Totowa: Humana Press. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59745-062-1.
  5. Convention on Biological Diversity. (1992, June). Retrieved from https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/995_030#Text.
  6. Genre, A., Lanfranco, L., Perotto, S., & Bonfante, P. (2020). Unique and common traits in mycorrhizal symbioses. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 18, 649-660. doi: 10.1038/s41579-020-0402-3.
  7. Gil-Fernández, M., Carthey, A.J.R., Mendoza, E., Godínez-Gómez, O., MacSwiney G., M.C., Blanco-García, A., Delfín-Alfonso, C.A., & Le Roux, J.J. (2025). The impact of land use change on mycorrhizal fungi and their associations with rodents: Insights from a temperate forest in Mexico. Mycorrhiza, 35, article number 36. doi: 10.1007/s00572-025-01210-x.
  8. Index Fungorum. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.indexfungorum.org.
  9. Karunarathna, S.C., et al. (2025). Mushrooms in climate change mitigation: A comprehensive review. Frontiers in Microbiology, 16, article number 1727022. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2025.1727022.
  10. Li, T., Phillips, R.P., Rillig, M.C., Angst, G., Kiers, E.T., Bonfante, P., Eisenhauer, N., & Liu, Z. (2025). Mycorrhizal allies: Synergizing forest carbon and multifunctional restoration. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 40(10), 983-994. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2025.07.004.
  11. Nouwen, O., Rineau, F., Kohout, P., Baldrian, P., Eisenhauer, N., Beenaerts, N., Thijs, S., Vangronsveld, J., & Soudzilovskaia, N.A. (2025). Towards understanding the impact of mycorrhizal fungal environments on the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 101(8), article number fiaf062. doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiaf062.
  12. Oliferchuk, V., & Fedorovych, D. (2021). Influence of tuber melanosporum mycorrhystic mushrooms on the biodiversity rhisosphere micromycetes and growth and productivity of hazelnut. Scientific Bulletin of UNFU, 31(2), 28-34. doi: 10.36930/40310204.
  13. Parfenyuk, A., Kosovska, N., Borodai, V., & Turovnik, Yu. (2022). Root exometabolites as an ecological factor in the interaction between cultivated plants and soil microorganisms. Agroecological Journal, 3, 62-74. doi: 10.33730/2077-4893.3.2022.266410.
  14. Red Book of Ukraine. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://redbook-ua.org/.
  15. Simard, S.W., Beiler, K.J., Bingham, M.A., Deslippe, J.R., Philip, L.J., & Teste, F.P. (2012). Mycorrhizal networks: Mechanisms, ecology and modelling. Fungal Biology Reviews, 26(1), 39-60. doi: 10.1016/j.fbr.2012.01.001.
  16. Stamets, P. (1993). Growing gourmet and medicinal mushrooms. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.
  17. Steidinger, B.S., et al. (2019). Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses. Nature, 569, 404-408. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1128-0.
  18. Teste, F.P., Simard, S.W., Durall, D.M., Guy, R.D., Jones, M.D., & Schoonmaker, A.L. (2009). Access to mycorrhizal networks and roots of trees: Importance for seedling survival and resource transfer. Ecology, 90(10), 2808-2822. doi: 10.1890/08-1884.1.
  19. Tkachuk, O., & Viter, N. (2022). Biological aspects of functioning of field protective forest belts in conditions of climate change. Balanced Nature Using, 1, 100-107. doi: 10.33730/2310-4678.1.2022.255218.
  20. Usman, M., Ho-Plágaro, T., Frank, H.E.R., Calvo-Polanco, M., Gaillard, I., Garcia, K., & Zimmermann, S.D. (2021). Mycorrhizal symbiosis for better adaptation of trees to abiotic stress caused by climate change in temperate and boreal forests. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, 4, article number 742392. doi: 10.3389/ffgc.2021.742392.
  21. Van Nuland, M.E., et al. (2025). Global hotspots of mycorrhizal fungal richness are poorly protected. Nature, 645, 414-422. doi: 10.1038/s41586-025-09277-4.
  22. Wang, L., et al. (2025). Arbuscular mycorrhizal networks – a climate-smart blueprint for agriculture. Plant Communications, 6(11), article number 101526. doi: 10.1016/j.xplc.2025.101526.
  23. Wang, Z., et al. (2026). Effects of mycorrhizal dominance on species diversity and carbon stock in a large temperate forest region. Journal of Environmental Management, 401, article number 128771. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.128771.
  24. World Flora Online. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.worldfloraonline.org.
  25. Zegnal, I., Brenko, A., & Medak, J. (2025). Mycorrhiza: The importance of this hidden network. South-East European Forestry, 16(2), 257-267. doi: 10.15177/seefor.25-19.