The functional structure of ectomycorrhizal communities in an oak forest in central France witnesses ancient Gallo-Roman farming practices

The activities of nutrient-mobilising enzymes secreted by ectomycorrhizas of sessile oak (Quercus petraea) have been measured in 24 plots in a forested area in central France where many rural Gallo-Roman settlements (first to fifth centuries AD) have been discovered. Data have been related with tree growth and soil chemical properties. Although soil near the past settlements is still enriched in N and P, this does not always correspond to the higher productivity of oak trees. However, when this is the case, the ectomycorrhizal community displays higher chitinase, protease and phosphatase activities (involved in N and P mobilisation from soil organic matter). A few specialised ectomycorrhizal fungal species are responsible for this adaptation to the long-lasting modification of soil conditions.