Abstract
AbstractSamples taken from sedimentary archives indicate that fungal non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) can be used to provide information on forest cover, fire regime, and depositional environment in the eastern Andean flank montane forest of Ecuador. Within the 52 samples examined, 54 fungal NPP morphotypes are reported, of which 25 were found to be previously undescribed. Examination of fungal NPPs over a gradient of forest cover (2–64%) revealed three distinct assemblages: (1) low (<8%) forest cover Neurospora, IBB-16, HdV-201, OU-102, and OU-110 indicative of an open degraded landscape; (2) medium (8–32%) forest cover Cercophora-type 1, Xylariaceae, Rosellinia-type, Kretzschmaria deusta, Amphirosellinia, Sporormiella, and Glomus suggestive of a forested landscape disturbed by herbivores and soil erosion; and (3) high (32–63%) forest cover Anthostomella fuegiana, OU-5, OU-101, OU-108, and OU-120. Environmental variables for forest cover (forest pollen), available moisture (aquatic remains), regional fire regime (microcharcoal), and sediment composition (organic carbon) were found to explain ~40% of the variance in the fungal NPP data set. Fire was found to be the primary control on fungal NPP assemblage composition, with available moisture and sediment composition the next most important factors.
Highlights
Estimates of global fungal diversity range from 1.5 to 5.1 million species (Blackwell, 2011; Hawksworth, 2012) with the greatest diversity found in tropical lowland and montane environments (Tedersoo et al, 2014)
To overcome the challenge presented by an absence of suitable depositional environments from which to recover a modern calibration data set for non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), we have developed an alternative approach that relates fungal NPP assemblages to independent environmental proxies in sedimentary archives
Through using the sedimentary archives, we significantly increase the number of samples from the optimal depositional environments and reduce the “sample effect” that can bias comparison with the fossil record
Summary
Estimates of global fungal diversity range from 1.5 to 5.1 million species (Blackwell, 2011; Hawksworth, 2012) with the greatest diversity found in tropical lowland and montane environments (Tedersoo et al, 2014). Fungi perform a vital function in terrestrial ecosystems as symbionts and decomposers of vegetation. Because of this role, a close relationship exists between plant and fungal communities (Hooper et al, 2000; Peay et al, 2013). Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), which include fungal remains, zoological remains, plant fragments, and algae, were first utilised to complement fossil pollen in reconstructing palaeoenvironmental records from northern European peat bogs (van Geel, 1972, 1976, 1978; van Geel et al, 1981, 1983; Kuhry, 1985).
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