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|a Abies pindrow (Royle ex D.Don) Royle (Himalayan pindrow fir) is an imperative conifer native to Kashmir Himalaya, where its mono-dominant forests provide vital ecosystem services, besides being dwelling to endangered flora and fauna. However, in the past few decades, these forests have relentlessly undergone unprecedented deforestation and degradation, and consequently, biodiversity and biotic interactions are jeopardized in these ecosystems. Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi of this fir species may prove helpful in the successful restoration of structural organization and functional integrity of these degraded fir forests. Consequently, the present study was undertaken to explore and document the root-associated ectomycorrhizal symbionts of Himalayan pindrow fir through ectomycorrhizal root tip surveys for morphotyping together with Next Generation Sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) of ITS region of fungal nuclear ribosomal DNA. Fine ECM infected root tips were grouped into fourteen distinct morphotypes based on the morphological attributes, with the monopodial pyramidal type being the most abundant morphotype. The molecular characterization revealed high fungal diversity associated with the roots of Himalayan pindrow fir. A total of 2,51,158 reads were obtained, representing 136 OTUs, of which 62 have confirmed ectomycorrhizal status. In addition, fir roots were found to host a large suite of diverse fungal taxa, including saprotrophs, parasites, and pathogens. FUNGuild assigned 9 prominent guilds to the fungi associated with the fir roots, and ectomycorrhizal fungi represented the largest guild. OTUs belonging to division Basidiomycota were more abundant than those belonging to Ascomycota. Inocybe, Russula, Otidea, Sebacina, Chalara, Tomentella, Cenococcum and Wilcoxina were the abundant ECM forming genera. The results of this study can serve as baseline information for future research and pave the way for experimental evaluation of these ectomycorrhizal mutualists for their prospective use in ectomycorrhization and ECM-mediated forest restoration. © 2021
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