The microfungal communities of a mixed mire in northern Sweden

Abstract

The microfungal communities of a mire in northern Sweden were studied. Three plant communities were sampled at two depths, one dry ombrotrophic, one wet ombrotrophic, and one wet minerotrophic site. The fungi were isolated on malt agar using the dilution-plate technique. The most commonly isolated species were Chaunopychnis alba, Mortierella isabellina, Mortierella pulchella, Mycelium radicis atrovirens, Penicillium spinulosum, and a sterile isolate. Penicillium spinulosum, Penicillium thomii, and Mortierella pulchella were dominant in the hummocks, whereas Mycelium radicis atrovirens, Cladosporium sp., and one unidentified isolate were found more often in the wet plant communities. Chaunopychnis alba was isolated more frequently at the minerotrophic site compared with the other two sites. Cladosporium sp., Verticillium bulbillosum, a sterile isolate, and several yeast taxa were most abundant close to the surface. Species composition was most different between the dry hummocks and the two wet sites. In the hummocks the fungal community was more similar between the two depths than in the lawns where the groundwater surface was close to the vegetation surface. Key words: microfungi, groundwater, mire, peat, plant communities.