http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111001320

Ectomycorrhizal fungi, a group of widespread symbiotic fungi with plant, obtain carbon sourcefromtrees and improve plant mineral nutrient uptakewith their widespread hyphal network. Ectomycorrhizalfungi can be used as inoculants to improve the survival rates of plantation. Saprophytic fungi use the nutritionfromthe debris of plant or animals, and it is difficult to distinguish the saprophytic and ectomycorrhizal fungiby morphological and anatomic methods. In this research, the differences of stable carbon and nitrogenisotopic compositions of these fungi were analyzed. The results showed that the abundances of 13C ofwerehigher than those of ectomycorrhizal fungi and the abundances of 15N of saprophytic fungi were lower thanthose of ectomycorrhizal fungi. Such differences of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions betweenectomycorrhizal fungi and saprophytic fungi can be ascribed to their different nutrition sources and ecologicalfunctions. These results collectively indicate that stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions are aneffective proxy for distinguishing between ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi.