Resumen:
Mycorrhizae are classic examples to explain the mutualistic interaction between two different organisms in nature: the roots of a vascular plant and a fungus. Both species establish a permanent relationship, they live together in symbiosis, and that differentiates the nature of mycorrhizae from other plant¿fungus interactions. Ectomycorrhizal associations increase the root exploration area in soil, boosting the potential for mineral nutrition, water availability, and mutual survival of plant and fungus. The diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in the roots of spermatophyte plants is impressively high and means a complex diversity of structures in the root system, including emanating hyphae and rhizomorphs, which enlarge its area of influence. The distribution of the ectomycorrhizae living in the root system in an ever-changing balance is conditioned by many factors. Some of them are related with the root morphology of the host tree and also with ectomycorrhizal morphology, but abiotic factors (such as soil properties) also play a role.
Knowledge of the distribution and organization of ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in the rhizosphere is still in its infancy. The development of regional models of ectomycorrhizal sporocarp¿environment relationships and molecular tools and the study of anato-morphological structures are helping to increase levels of understanding.
