Saprotrophic Fungal Species Research Articles

Large wildfires alter the potential capacity of fire-prone Mediterranean pine forests to provide wild edible mushrooms over the long term

Projected trends of intensified wildfires due to climate warming and fuel-load accumulation are expected to significantly alter fungal diversity, but we know little about how these changes will impact ecosystem services. We aimed to analyze how large wildfires alter the capacity of fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystems dominated by Pinus pinaster Ait. to deliver the provisioning ecosystem service of mushroom production throughout the post-fire succession. We assessed this at early (<10 years), medium (10-20 years), and late (>20 years) stages after fire, compared to an unburned forest. Our results evidenced that large wildfires significantly reduced the capacity of these forests to provide mushroom harvesting opportunities. This adverse effect was most pronounced in the first few years after wildfire but persisted even after 20 years of post-fire succession. The total fungal species richness, abundance, diversity, and productivity at the post-fire successional stages remained lower than in the unburned forest, failing to reach their pre-fire levels even after two decades. However, the presence of commercially valuable edible fungal species, along with their species richness and productivity, began to recover in the medium and late stages after fire. In the immediate aftermath of the fire, saprotrophic fungal species dominated, while mycorrhizal species became more prevalent during the medium and late stages of secondary succession. Additionally, the abundance and productivity of mycorrhizal species in the late succession stage approached those found in the unburned forest. Soil pH and biochemical variables (microbial biomass C and β-glucosidase enzymatic activity) were key drivers of changes in species composition along the successional stages. This knowledge is essential to guide management solutions aimed at reducing ecosystem service loss and increasing resilience to the new scenario of extreme large wildfire events at shorter fire-free intervals, especially in southern Europe.

Fungi complicit in oak powdery mildew infection in the Oława Forest District

Oaks are important forest-forming species in Poland. It is an important species from an economic perspective in Polish forestry. Oak is characterized by high tolerance in terms of soil requirements, which include soil formations from sandy to clayey with a reaction from acidic to indifferent, sometimes even alkaline in pedunculate oak. It is sensitive to late frosts. In recent years, climate change has been observed in Europe and also in Poland. Abiotic stresses caused by unfavourable weather conditions have worsened the health of oak trees, on which other pathogens, primarily fungi, have become established. The research was carried out at two sites in the Oława Forest District in Bystrzyca in 2022. They consisted in collecting 10 representative shoots from each research area, which were then used to isolate fungal species in the laboratory. The results of the experiment confirm that co-occurring species can be observed with the presence of powdery mildew. Oak shoots are colonised by both pathogenic and saprotrophic fungal species. The high occurrence of pathogenic fungi species along with powdery mildew on oak shoots can be associated with the deterioration of the phytosarcoma condition of oaks, however, in order to be able to state this unequivocally, research on this phenomenon should be focused on in the future.

The effects of grazing history, soil properties and stand structure on the communities of saprotrophic fungi in wood-pastures

Wood-pastures are threatened anthropogenic biotopes that provide habitat for an extensive group of species. Here we studied the effect of management, grazing intensity, time since abandonment, historical land-use intensity, soil properties and stand conditions on communities of saprotrophic fungi in wood-pastures in Central Finland. We found that the proportion of broadleaved trees and soil pH are the major drivers in the communities of saprotrophic fungi in these boreal wood-pastures. In addition, tree species richness, soil moisture, historical land-use intensity and time since abandonment affected the communities of saprotrophic fungi. Current management or grazing intensity did not have a clear effect on saprotrophic fungal species richness, although dung-inhabiting fungal species richness was highest at intermediate to high grazing intensity. Obviously, there were many more dung-inhabiting fungal species on grazed than on abandoned sites. Our study highlights the conservation value of wood-pastures as hotspots of saprotrophic fungi. • Management or grazing intensity did not have clear effect on species richness. • Trees and soil pH were the major drivers in the communities of saprotrophic fungi. • Species richness increased with tree species richness and time since abandonment. • Stand conditions affect communities of saprotrophic fungi more than grazing. • Stand conditions should be evaluated when planning conservation of wood-pastures.

Species and quantitative composition of the mycoflora of gray forest soil in intensive horticulture and crop production

The article examines the mycoflora of the soil in different areas of agricultural land use for intensive cultivation of crops. The aim of the article is too study the number of soil mycoflora in different areas of agricultural land use with intensive cultivation of crops (horticulture and feld crop rotations). In the conditions of Vinnytsia region the quantitative and species composition of fungal groups of gray forest soil under intensive horticulture and crop production was studied. Research on microbiological diversity of soils were carried out in the Tivriv district of Vinnytsia region on the example of agricultural land of the LLC «Agro-Etalon». Soil microorganisms are convenient object of observation. Based on the analysis of literature sources, the determining role of microorganisms in maintaining homeostasis, restoring soil fertility and crop formation has been established. The study of the qualitative and quantitative state of the soil microbiota allows to improve the conditions and methods of agriculture in order to improve the state of the soil microbiota, and hence soil fertility. As the result the most common types of soil micromycetes characteristic of both studied objects were identifed. Among them are Penicillium rubrum, P. variabile, P. canescens, Arthrinium phaeospermum, Mortierella alpina, Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride and Fusarium graminear. The structure of the microbial coenosis and the ratio of the number of ecological and trophic groups of microorganisms differ depending on the direction of use of agricultural land. The soils of the apple orchard under intensive horticulture contained a smaller total number of thousands of colony-forming units per gram of soil, saprotrophic fungal species and are represented by a much smaller list of fungal genera compared to the soil under intensive vegetation. At the same time, it should be noted that soils under orchards were characterized by a higher share of pathogenic, potential toxin-forming fungi and antagonist fungi than the total number of isolated fungi compared to soils used under crops. Key words: soil, fungi, mycoflora, micromycetes, intensive gardening, intensive crop production.

Contrasting community responses of root and soil dwelling fungi to extreme drought in a temperate grassland

Fungal communities inhabiting plant roots and the soil diverge because they are shaped by differences in abiotic environment and plant filtering. Therefore, these two communities will also likely respond differently to climate change. However, such responses are poorly understood, especially for climate extremes with increasing frequency and intensity. Based on a long-term field experiment that simulated two types of extreme drought (chronic/intense) of once-in-20-year occurrence in the temperate grassland, we studied the response of soil and root fungal communities to extreme drought in association with plant communities. The species richness, community composition, and network stability of the root fungi were sensitive to extreme drought and showed legacy effects during recovery; notably, these responses were independent of extreme drought types. The sensitivity of the root community was mainly driven by rare symbiotic and saprotrophic fungal species, with abundant species remaining stable. In contrast, except for species relative abundances, soil fungal communities were resistant to drought. Structural equation modelling revealed that plant communities mediate drought effects on root fungal communities but not soil communities. Our findings highlight the climate sensitivity of root fungal communities and their response asymmetry to soil communities, with potentially profound consequences for ecosystem stability and functionality.

Relationships Between Fungal and Plant Communities Differ Between Desert and Grassland in a Typical Dryland Region of Northwest China.

The relationships between soil fungal and plant communities in the dryland have been well documented, yet the associated difference in relationships between soil fungal and plant communities among different habitats remains unclear. Here, we explored the relationships between plant and fungal functional communities, and the dominant factors of these fungal communities in the desert and grassland. Soil fungal functional communities were assessed based on fungal ITS sequence data which were obtained from our previous study. The results showed that the total, saprotrophic and pathotrophic fungal richness were predominantly determined by plant species richness and/or soil nutrients in the desert, but by MAP or soil CN in the grassland. AM fungal richness was only significantly related to soil nutrients in two habitats. The total and saprotrophic fungal species compositions were mainly shaped by abiotic and spatial factors in the desert, but by plant and abiotic factors in the grassland. Pathotrophic fungal species composition was more strongly correlated with plant and spatial factors in the desert, but with spatial and abiotic factors in the grassland. AM fungal species composition was more strongly correlated with MAP in the grassland, but with no factors in the desert. These results provide robust evidence that the relationships between soil fungal and plant communities, and the drivers of soil fungal communities differ between the desert and grassland. Furthermore, we highlight that the linkages between soil fungal and plant communities, and the drivers of soil fungal communities may also be affected by fungal traits (e.g., functional groups).

Tree species richness and fungi in freshly fallen leaf litter: Unique patterns of fungal species composition and their implications for enzymatic decomposition

A major gap in understanding the relationship between tree diversity and litter decomposition concerns knowledge of the saprotrophic fungal communities mediating decomposition processes. Making use of experimental tree diversity plots in subtropical China, our objective was to disentangle the effects of tree species richness on diversity, abundance, and composition of saprotrophic fungal communities in freshly fallen leaf litter. We employed a meta-genomic approach and analysed enzymatic decomposition. Our results indicate the dominance of Ascomycota, with species from this phylum colonizing leaf litter more rapidly than Basidiomycota. Furthermore, Ascomycota was the most abundant when tree richness was intermediate. Both Ascomycota and Basidiomycota differed significantly in their species composition in response to varying tree species richness. However, saprotrophic fungal species diversity did not respond to tree species richness. Instead, litter C/N ratio, litter Ca and plot altitude were the strongest determinants of fungal species diversity. Carbon-degradation enzyme activities were also significantly associated with litter C/N ratio, Ca and Fe concentration and, in addition, with tree species richness. The responses of fungal species and enzyme activity to tree species richness were uncoupled from each other, although the two variables were significantly correlated. Overall, our findings highlight a significant effect of tree species richness on litter fungal species composition, but not diversity. Our findings also provide insight into the importance of enzyme-mediated C degradation for the response to tree species richness in early-stage leaf decay in subtropical forests.

A comparison of ergosterol and PLFA methods for monitoring the growth of ligninolytic fungi during wheat straw solid state cultivation

Ergosterol, total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) and linoleic acid (18:2n-6) have all been used to determine fungal growth. This paper compares these methods to assess the growth of four different saprotrophic fungal species during solid state cultivation using a wheat straw substrate that have not been compared or measured previously. Ergosterol production appeared to track the mycelia growth well but its production differed considerably between fungi. This means that a specific conversion factor needs to be determined and applied for any given fungus. In comparison, measurements of total PLFA and linoleic acid only showed promise for determining the growth of Postia placenta due to the positive correlation with ergosterol measurements. In contrast, the other fungi tested (Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Serpula lacrymans and Schizophyllum commune) showed either no correlation or in some cases a negative correlation using this assay. The novel findings highlight the variation in fungal fatty acid between species, culture conditions and durations of incubation; suggesting that measurement of linoleic acid is only usable in specific cases. These findings provide important consideration for the study of fungi growing in solid substrates and suggest that the use of PLFA might bias diversity indices.

Saprotrophic soil fungi to improve phosphorus solubilisation and release: In vitro abilities of several species

Modern agriculture is dependent on phosphate rock (PR), which is a nonrenewable resource. Improvement of phosphorus (P) availability for crops in agricultural soils represents a key strategy to slow down the depletion of PR. The aim of this study was to identify potential P biofertilisers among saprotrophic fungal species. We tested 30 fungal strains belonging to 28 taxa (4 Zygomycota and 24 Ascomycota) and with different life strategies. The study showed that many saprotrophic fungi have the ability to mobilise P from insoluble forms according to a variety of mechanisms. Our results expand the pool of P solubilising fungal species, also suggesting a new solubilisation index and shedding light on parameters that could be basic in the selection of efficient soil P-biofertilisers fungi. Rhizopus stolonifer var. stolonifer, Aspergillus niger and Alternaria alternata were found to be the best performing strains in terms of amounts of TCP solubilisation.

Assemblage composition of fungal wood-decay species has a major influence on how climate and wood quality modify decomposition.

The interactions among saprotrophic fungal species, as well as their interactions with environmental factors, may have a major influence on wood decay and carbon release in ecosystems. We studied the effect that decomposer diversity (species richness and assemblage composition) has on wood decomposition when the climatic variables and substrate quality vary simultaneously. We used two temperatures (16 and 21°C) and two humidity levels (70% and 90%) with two wood qualities (wood from managed and old-growth forests) of Pinus sylvestris. In a 9-month experiment, the effects of fungal diversity were tested using four wood-decaying fungi (Antrodia xantha, Dichomitus squalens, Fomitopsis pinicola and Gloeophyllum protractum) at assemblage levels of one, two and four species. Wood quality and assemblage composition affected the influence of climatic factors on decomposition rates. Fungal assemblage composition was found to be more important than fungal species richness, indicating that species-specific fungal traits are of paramount importance in driving decomposition. We conclude that models containing fungal wood-decay species (and wood-based carbon) need to take into account species-specific and assemblage composition-specific properties to improve predictive capacity in regard to decomposition-related carbon dynamics.

Effect of water redistribution by two distinct saprotrophic fungi on carbon mineralization and nitrogen translocation in dry soil

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) of water from wet to dry soil compartments by non-differentiated mycelium was recently shown for the saprotrophic fungus Agaricus bisporus. The redistributed water triggered the carbon (C) mineralization in the dry soil. The potential of other saprotrophic fungal species and their mycelia networks for HR in soils is unknown. Here, we tested the potential for HR of the mycelial cord forming species Schizophyllum commune, compared it to capillary water transport in a sandy soil and assessed the impact of HR on C mineralization and enzyme activities in mesocosm experiments with dry and wet soil compartments using labeled water (2H) and labeled organic substrate (13C, 15N). Further, we determined nitrogen (N) translocation between the soil compartments by the mycelium of S. commune and A. bisporus. The flow velocity of redistributed water in single hyphae of S. commune was about 0.43 cm min−1 which is 1.5–2 times higher than in hyphae of A. bisporus, suggesting that cords enhance fungal HR. The amount of redistributed water was similar to capillary transport in the sterile sandy soil. Despite greater potential for HR, S. commune only slightly increased C mineralization and enzyme activity in the dry soil within 7 days. S. commune translocated N towards the organic substrate in the dry soil and used it for hyphal growth whereas A. bisporus redistributed N within the mycelial network towards the wet soil. Our results suggest that fungal hyphae have the potential to overcome capillary barriers between dry and wet soil compartments via HR and that the impact of fungal HR on C mineralization and N translocation is related to the foraging strategy and the resource usage of the fungus species.

Ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity and saprotrophic fungal diversity are linked to different tree community attributes in a field-based tree experiment.

Exploring the link between above- and belowground biodiversity has been a major theme of recent ecological research, due in large part to the increasingly well-recognized role that soil microorganisms play in driving plant community processes. In this study, we utilized a field-based tree experiment in Minnesota, USA, to assess the effect of changes in plant species richness and phylogenetic diversity on the richness and composition of both ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities. We found that ectomycorrhizal fungal species richness was significantly positively influenced by increasing plant phylogenetic diversity, while saprotrophic fungal species richness was significantly affected by plant leaf nitrogen content, specific root length and standing biomass. The increasing ectomycorrhizal fungal richness associated with increasing plant phylogenetic diversity was driven by the combined presence of ectomycorrhizal fungal specialists in plots with both gymnosperm and angiosperm hosts. Although the species composition of both the ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungal communities changed significantly in response to changes in plant species composition, the effect was much greater for ectomycorrhizal fungi. In addition, ectomycorrhizal but not saprotrophic fungal species composition was significantly influenced by both plant phylum (angiosperm, gymnosperm, both) and origin (Europe, America, both). The phylum effect was caused by differences in ectomycorrhizal fungal community composition, while the origin effect was attributable to differences in community heterogeneity. Taken together, this study emphasizes that plant-associated effects on soil fungal communities are largely guild-specific and provides a mechanistic basis for the positive link between plant phylogenetic diversity and ectomycorrhizal fungal richness.

Coprinellus disseminatus (Pers.) J.E. Lange 1938: In vitro antioxidant and antiproliferative effects

Coprinellus disseminatus (Pers.) J.E. Lange 1938 is an edible saprotrophic fungal species with bioactive potential which is not extensively investigated, mostly due to its small size. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine chemical and biological properties of crude ethanol (CdEtOH) and water extracts (CdAq). The bioactivity screens included antioxidant and antiproliferative (human breast MCF-7 cancer cell-line; MTT and SRB assays) activity. In addition, CdAq and CdEtOH were primarily characterized by UV-VIS spectrophotometry, with an aim of determining its chemical composition (total phenol and flavonoid contents). The best antioxidant activities were obtained for hydroxyl radicals (OH∙) and superoxide anion radical (SOA) assays for both crude extracts (IC50 =4.02 μg/ml for CdAq and IC50 =1.40 μg/ml for CdEtOH) while total phenolic (TP) and total flavonoid (TF) content was higher in CdEtoH than in CdAq. Both crude extracts have shown activity against MCF-7 cell line although CdEtOH showed better effect than CdAq extract after 72h in MTT and SRB assay, reaching IC50 at 217.90 and 205.90 μg/ml, respectively. Based on obtained results, the saprotrophic fungal species Coprinellus disseminatus (Pers.) J.E. Lange 1938 could be considered as a good potential alternative source of nutraceuticals and biologically active compounds.