Abstract: This paper reviewed the research progress in the responses of ectomycorrhiza to drought stress and related resistance mechanisms from the aspects of ectomycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal symbiote, and indirect effects of ectomycorrhiza. The future research directions on the ectomycorrhiza in China were also prospected. Drought stress can inhibit the growth of ectomycorrhizal fungi, and decrease the fungal diversity in ectomycorrhizal fungal communities. Under drought stress, the ectomycorrhizal fungal sporocarp can use deep (>30 cm) soil water. The ratio of sporocarp surface to its volume is an important factor for the screening of drought resistant strains of ectomycorrhizal fungi in arid region. Ectomycorrhizal symbiote can resist drought stress by morphological change, increasing water absorption, and improving related metabolisms such as the photosynthesis, reactive oxygen species, and hormones of plants. It would be beneficial for host plants to resist drought stress when the ectomycorrhiza promoted the growth of host plants and other rhizosphere microbes, and increased the soil carbon sink. It was suggested that the ectomycorrhizal research in China should focus on the screening of excellent fungi-tree combination in arid region, and pay more attention to the investigation of native ectomycorrhizal fungal resources. In the future research, an impetus should be made to the molecular biological research.

Key words: sap flow, heat-ratio method (HRM), T_Max method (T_Max), single-probe heat pulse method (SHPP), Salix matsudana.