| The mycorrhiza (Greek term for fungus roots coined by Frank, 1885; typically seen in the plural forms mycorrhizae or mycorrhizas) refers to an association or symbiosis between plant and fungi that colonize the cortical tissue of roots during periods of active plant growth. Mycorrhizae are symbiotic association of nonpathogenic soil fungi with living root cells of plants, and have been described to represent �Metabolic Harmony� between two organisms. Mycorrhizae are known to influence plant performance through the benefits they confer on their hosts. Their benefits, for example, lead to improved growth of host plants and increased tolerance to drought and disease is well known but not much is known about their role in competitive outcome of host species. We showed that the outcome of competition between the seedlings of two major Indian Himalayan tree species, viz. ban oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) and chir pine (Pinus roxburghii) is changed with the change in associated ectomycorrhizal fungal species. Three ectomycorrhizal fungal species viz. Amanita verna and Russula veternosa were used for the present study. Russula veternosa showed better effect on oak seedlings in comparison to pine seedlings when grown in pure culture (oak + oak) as well as in mixed culture (oak + pine) whereas Amanita verna showed better outcome on growth of pine seedlings. It was proved from the data that associated ectomycorrhizal species was having a marked influence in the growth and development of tree species and showed their role in community ecosystem development. The results also suggest that Amanita verna can be used as more efficient species for artificial inoculation with pine whereas Russula veternosa with oak as a biofertilizer in nursery management of these tree species of central Himalaya, having higher ecological significance and the main source of fodder and fire wood. Keywords: Ectomycorrhiza, Competitive outcome, Quercus leucotrichophora, Pinus roxburghii, biofertilizer |