Rhizosphere Soil Fungal Diversity and Soil Physicochemical Properties of Different Vegetations in Tundra of Changbai Mountain

By studying the diversity and community structure of rhizosphere soil fungi of different plants in the tundra on the northern slope of Changbai Mountain, it provides theoretical support for the restoration of environmental degradation and in-depth study of fungal diversity in the tundra of Changbai Mountain. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to determine the ITS1 region of fungal amplicons, so as to analyze the diversity of fungal communities in the rhizosphere soil of six plants in the tundra of Changbai Mountain, and to analyze the correlation between the environment and the diversity and richness of fungal communities in combination with relevant soil physical and chemical factors. The diversity and richness of fungal community in the rhizosphere soil of six plants in Changbai Mountain tundra were different. The Simpson and Shannon indexes of Saxifraga stolonifera Curt were the highest, and the richness of fungal community in Dryas octopetala was the highest. The analysis of fungal community composition showed that the fungal colonies in plant rhizosphere soil samples mainly belonged to Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, which were the main dominant phyla. Mortierella, Fusarium and Sordariomycetes are common fungal genera in the rhizosphere soil of six plants, but their abundances are different among different plants. Water content was negatively correlated with fungal diversity, and TP was positively correlated with fungal community diversity. There were some differences in the composition and diversity of rhizosphere soil fungal communities of six plants in Changbai Mountain tundra. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the main soil fungal phyla in the rhizosphere of six plants in Changbai Mountain tundra. The results could provide theoretical guidance for ecological protection of Changbai Mountain tundra.

Fungal diversity notes 1611-1716: taxonomic and phylogenetic contributions on fungal genera and species emphasis in south China

This article is the 15th contribution in the Fungal Diversity Notes series,wherein 115 taxa from three phyla,nine classes,28 orders,48 families,and 64 genera are treated.Fungal taxa described and illustrated in the present study include a new family,five new genera,61 new species,five new combinations,one synonym,one new variety and 31 records on new hosts or new geographical distributions.Ageratinicolaceae fam.nov.is introduced and accommodated in Pleosporales.The new genera introduced in this study are Ageratinicola,Kevinia,Pseudomultiseptospora(Parabambusicolaceae),Marasmiellomycena,and Vizzinia(Porotheleaceae).Newly described species are Abrothallus altoandinus,Ageratinicola kunmingensis,Allocryptovalsa aceris,Allophoma yuccae,Apiospora cannae,A.elliptica,A.pallidesporae,Boeremia wisteriae,Calycina papaeana,Clypeo-coccum lichenostigmoides,Coniochaeta riskali-shoyakubovii,Cryphonectria kunmingensis,Diaporthe angustiapiculata,D.campylandrae,D.longipapillata,Diatrypella guangdongense,Dothiorella franceschinii,Endocalyx phoenicis,Epicoc-cum terminosporum,Fulvifomes karaiensis,F.pannaensis,Ganoderma ghatensis,Hysterobrevium baoshanense,Inocybe avellaneorosea,I.lucida,Jahnula oblonga,Kevinia lignicola,Kirschsteiniothelia guangdongensis,Laboulbenia caprina,L.clavulata,L.cobiae,L.cosmodisci,L.nilotica,L.omalii,L.robusta,L.similis,L.stigmatophora,Laccaria rubriporus,Lasiodiplodia morindae,Lyophyllum agnijum,Marasmiellomycena pseudoomphaliiformis,Melomastia beihaiensis,Nemania guangdongensis,Nigrograna thailandica,Nigrospora ficuum,Oxydothis chinensis,O.yunnanensis,Petriella thailandica,Phaeoacremonium chinensis,Phialocephala chinensis,Phytophthora debattistii,Polyplosphaeria nigrospora,Pronectria loweniae,Seriascoma acutispora,Setoseptoria bambusae,Stictis anomianthi,Tarzetta tibetensis,Tarzetta urceolata,Tetraploa obpyriformis,Trichoglossum beninense,and Tricoderma pyrrosiae.We provide an emendation for Urnula ailaoshanensis Agaricus duplocingulatoides var.brevisporus introduced as a new variety based on morphology and phylogeny.

Impact of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Fungal Community Structure in Karst Rocky Desertification Areas

In this paper,managed forest(MF)and natural forest(NF)in the Huajiang Demonstration Zone of Guanling,Guizhou were selected as research objects,and cropland(CL)was taken as control.High-throughput sequencing technology was used to study the characteristics of fungal community composition and species diversity in the surface(0-10 cm)soil of each restoration measure,in order to reveal the dominant soil fungal groups and fungal community composition in karst rocky desertification areas,which was conducive to a more comprehensive understanding of the soil conditions of different vegetation restoration measures.Research has shown that vegetation restoration significantly affected the diversity of soil fungal community,with significant increases in Sob index,Ace index,and Chao index.The vegetation restoration has significantly changed the composition of fungal community.The dominant fungi in the CL topsoil are Sordariomycetes(62.28%),Dothideomycetes(12.34%),and Eurotiomycetes(9.12%);the dominant fungi in the MF soil are Sordariomycetes(45.05%),Dothideomycetes(14.74%),and Mortierellomycetes(10.40%);the dominant fungi in the NF soil are unclassified fungal community(26.38%),Sordariomycetes(19.78%),and Agaricomycetes(13.82%).Vegetation restoration has changed the key fungal groups in the soil.Sordariomycetes,Fusarium,and Setophoma are the key dominant fungal groups in CL soil;Dioszegia is key dominant fungal group in MF soil;c_unclassified_k_Fungi,p_unclassified_k_Fungi,o_unclassified_k_Fungi,f_unclassified_k_Fungi,g_unclassified_k_Fungi,Teichospora,and Diaporthe are key dominant fungal groups in NF soil.

Fungal diversity in major oil-shale mines in China

As an insufficiently utilized energy resource,oil shale is conducive to the formation of characteristic microbial communities due to its special geological origins.However,little is known about fungal diversity in oil shale.Polymerase chain reaction cloning was used to construct the fungal ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid internal transcribed spacer（r DNA ITS）clone libraries of Huadian Mine in Jilin Province,Maoming Mine in Guangdong Province,and Fushun Mine in Liaoning Province.Pure culture and molecular identification were applied for the isolation of cultivable fungi in fresh oil shale of each mine.Results of clone libraries indicated that each mine had over 50% Ascomycota（58.4%–98.9%）and 1.1%–13.5%unidentified fungi.Fushun Mine and Huadian Mine had 5.9% and 28.1% Basidiomycota,respectively.Huadian Mine showed the highest fungal diversity,followed by Fushun Mine and Maoming Mine.Jaccard indexes showed that the similarities between any two of three fungal communities at the genus level were very low,indicating that fungi in each mine developed independently during the long geological adaptation and formed a community composition fitting the environment.In the fresh oil-shale samples of the three mines,cultivable fungal phyla were consistent with the results of clone libraries.Fifteen genera and several unidentified fungi were identified as Ascomycota and Basidiomycota using pure culture.Penicillium was the only genus found in all three mines.These findings contributed to gaining a clear understanding of current fungal resources in major oil-shale mines in China and provided useful information for relevant studies on isolation of indigenous fungi carrying functional genes from oil shale.

Plant diversity is coupled with soil fungal diversity in a natural temperate steppe of northeastern China

Soil fungi and aboveground plant play vital functions in terrestrial ecosystems,while the relationship between aboveground plant diversity and the unseen soil fungal diversity remains unclear.We established 6 sites from the west to the east of the temperate steppe that vary in plant diversity(plant species richness:7-32)to explore the relationship between soil fungal diversity and aboveground plant diversity.Soil fungal community was characterized by applying 18S rRNA gene sequencing using MiSeq PE300 and aligned with Silva 132 database.As a result,soil fungal community was predominately composed of species within the Ascomycota(84.36%),Basidiomycota(7.22%)and Mucoromycota(6.44%).Plant species richness occupied the largest explanatory power in structuring soil fungal community(19.05%–19.78%).The alpha(α)diversity of the whole soil fungi and Ascomycota showed a hump-backed pattern with increasing plant species richness,and the beta(β)diversity of the whole soil fungi and Ascomycota increased with increasing plantβdiversity.Those results indicated that soil fungi and external resources were well balanced at the 20-species level of plant and the sites were more distinct in the composition of their plant communities also harbored more distinct soil fungal communities.Thus,plant diversity could predict both soil fungalαandβdiversity in the temperate steppe of northeastern China.

Response of fungal communities to afforestation and its indication for forest restoration

Soil fungi in forest ecosystems have great potential to enhance host plant growth and systemic ecological functions and services.Reforestation at Saihanba Mechanized Forest Farm,the world's largest artificial plantation,has been integral to global forest ecosystem preservation since the 1950s.To better assess the ecological effects of soil microbiology after afforestation,fungal diversity and community structure(using Illumina sequencing)from forests dominated by Larix gmelinii var.principis-rupprechtii,Pinus sylvestris var.mongolica and Picea asperata,and from grassland were surveyed.In total,4,540 operational taxonomic units(OTUs)were identified,with Mortierella and Solicoccozyma being the dominant genera of grassland soil and Inocybe,Cortinarius,Piloderma,Tomentella,Sebacina,Hygrophorus and Saitozyma dominating the plantation soil.Principle coordinate analysis(PCoA)and co-occurrence networks revealed differences in fungal structure after afforestation.Significantly,more symbiotroph guilds were dominated by ectomycorrhizal fungi in plantations under the prediction of FUNGuild.The community composition and diversity of soil fungi were significantly influenced by pH via redundancy analysis(RDA)and the Mantel test(p<0.01).This finding emphasizes that soil pH has a strong effect on the transition of fungal communities and functional taxa from grassland to plantation,providing a novel indicator for forest restoration.

Diversity and composition of culturable fungi in Horqin Sandy Land

Soil fungi play a key role in soil functional performance and ecological restoration.To understand the diversity and composition of culturable fungi in soils of Horqin Sandy Land,China,mobile dune,semi-fixed dune,fixed dune and sandy grassland were selected to investigate the soil fungal diversity using a traditional culture-dependent approach.ITS sequencing was applied to identify the fungal strains.The counts of culturable fungi increased significantly from mobile dune to sandy grassland along the gradient of sandy land restoration.The Shannon-Wiener,Simpson and Evenness indices of culturable fungi ranged from 1.26-1.71,0.22-0.37 and 0.83-0.87,respectively.A total of 27 fungal strains were isolated using dilution plate cultural technique.The 27 fungal isolates were clustered into three groups:Ascomycota,Basidiomycota and Mucoromycota at phylum level,indicating that Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum(88.9%of the total).The isolated fungi were grouped into 3 phyla,5 classes,6 orders,11 families and 13 genera.The results show that culturable fungi were diverse in sandy land soils and fungal isolates have potential function in lipid turnover,cellulose degradation and ethanol,glucose and fatty acid production.Future studies should be carried out to explore their ecological and biological function for degraded sandy land restoration.

Partial organic fertilizer substitution promotes soil multifunctionality by increasing microbial community diversity and complexity

Partial substitution of synthetic nitrogen(N)with organic fertilizers(PSOF)is of great significance in improving soil ecosystem functions in systems that have deteriorated due to the excessive application of chemical N fertilizer.However,existing studies typically focus on individual soil functions,neglecting the fact that multiple functions occur simultaneously.It remains unclear how PSOF influences multiple soil functions and whether these impacts are related to soil microbial communities.Here,we examined the impacts of partial substitutions(25%–50%)of chemical N fertilizer with organic form(pig manure or municipal sludge)in a vegetable field on soil multifunctionality,by measuring a range of soil functions involving primary production(vegetable yield and quality),nutrient cycling(soil enzyme activities,ammonia volatilization,N leaching,and N runoff),and climate regulation(soil organic carbon sequestration and nitrous oxide emission).We observed that PSOF improved soil multifunctionality,with a 50%substitution of chemical N fertilizer with pig manure being the best management practice;the result was strongly related to the diversities and network complexities of bacteria and fungi.Random forest analysis further revealed that soil multifunctionality was best explained by the bacterial-fungal network complexity,followed by available phosphorus level and bacterial diversity.The PSOF also shifted the composition of bacterial and fungal communities,with increased relative abundances of dominant bacteria phyla,such as Bacteroidetes,Gemmatimonadetes,and Myxococcota,and fungal phyla,such as Basidiomycota and Olpidiomycota.The observed increases in soil multifunctionality were consistent with significant increases in the relative abundances of keystone taxa such as Blastocladiomycota,Chaetomiaceae,and Nocardiopsaceae.Together,these findings indicate that PSOF can enhance interactions within and among microbial communities and that such practices have the potential to improve soil ecosystem multifunctionality and contribute to the development of sustainable agriculture.

A Preliminary Investigation of Pathogenic Fungi from Lotus(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn)in Nanchang City

[Objectives]Lotus(Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn)is an economically important aquatic plant in China.Fungal disease is a serious problem in lotus cultivation.In this study,the pathogenic fungi on lotus in Nanchang City were investigated to lay the foundation for the disease control.[Methods]Lotus leaves and stems in ponds of Nanchang City were collected,the fungi on leave/stem spots were isolated and purified.Colonies morphological characters and ITS sequences were used to identify the strains.[Results]49 strains were isolated and identified to 20 species,belonging to 12 genera.[Discussion]15 species may firstly be reported on lotus in this study,i.e.,Alternaria angustiovoidea,Alternaria compacta,Alternaria ricini,Alternaria tenuissima,Arthrinium arundinis,Botryosphaeria dothidea,Curvularia spicifera,Diaporthe australiana,Diaporthe eres,Diaporthe tectonae,Epicoccum nigrum,Fusarium fujikuroi,Neofusicoccum parvum,Nigrospora sphaerica,and Phomopsis eucommii.

Linking changes in the soil microbial community to C and N dynamics during crop residue decomposition

Crop residues are among the main inputs that allow the organic carbon(C)and nutrients to be maintained in agricultural soil.It is an important management strategy that can improve soil fertility and enhance agricultural productivity.This work aims to evaluate the extent of the changes that may occur in the soil heterotrophic microbial communities involved in organic matter decomposition and C and nitrogen(N)mineralization after the addition of crop residues.Soil microcosm experiments were performed at 28℃ for 90 days with the addition of three crop residues with contrasting biochemical qualities:pea(Pisum sativum L.),rapeseed(Brassica napus L.),and wheat(Triticum aestivum L.).Enzyme activities,C and N mineralization,and bacterial and fungal biomasses were monitored,along with the bacterial and fungal community composition,by the highthroughput sequencing of 16 S rRNA and ITS genes.The addition of crop residues caused decreases in β-glucosidase and arylamidase activities and simultaneous enhancement of the C mineralization and net N immobilization,which were linked to changes in the soil microbial communities.The addition of crop residues decreased the bacterial and fungal biomasses 90 days after treatment and there were shifts in bacterial and fungal diversity at the phyla,order,and genera levels.Some specific orders and genera were dependent on crop residue type.For example,Chloroflexales,Inquilinus,Rubricoccus,Clitocybe,and Verticillium were identified in soils with pea residues;whereas Thermoanaerobacterales,Thermacetogenum,and Hypoxylon were enriched in soils with rapeseed residues,and Halanaerobiales,Rubrobacter,and Volutella were only present in soils with wheat residues.The findings of this study suggest that soil C and N dynamics in the presence of the crop residues were driven by the selection of specific bacterial and fungal decomposers linked to the biochemical qualities of the crop residues.If crop residue decomposition processes showed specific bacterial and fungal operational taxonomic unit(OTU)signatures,this study also suggests a strong functional redundancy that exists among soil microbial communities.

Corynespora celastri sp.nov.on Celastraceae from India

Corynespora celastri sp.nov.,is introduced on living leaves of Celastrus paniculatus(Celastraceae)collected from Paniyara forest of Mahrajganj,Uttar Pradesh,India.The new species is illustrated and compared with closely similar species reported on Celastraceae.This species is characterized by having longer conidiophores and conidia among the members reported on same host family.A key to all species of Corynespora on Celastraceae is also provided.

Thailand’s amazing diversity:up to 96%of fungi in northern Thailand may be novel

Fungi have been often neglected,despite the fact that they provided penicillin,lovastatin and many other important medicines.They are an understudied,but essential,fascinating and biotechnologically useful group of organisms.The study of fungi in northern Thailand has been carried out by us since 2005.These studies have been diverse,ranging from ecological aspects,phylogenetics with the incorportation of molecular dating,taxonomy(including morphology and chemotaxonomy)among a myriad of microfungi,to growing novel mushrooms,and DNA-based identification of plant pathogens.In this paper,advances in understanding the biodiversity of fungi in the region are discussed and compared with those further afield.Many new species have been inventoried for the region,but many unknown species remain to be described and/or catalogued.For example,in the edible genus Agaricus,over 35 new species have been introduced from northern Thailand,and numerous other taxa await description.In this relatively well known genus,93%of species novelty is apparent.In the microfungi,which are relatively poorly studied,the percentage of novel species is,surprisingly,generally not as high(55–96%).As well as Thai fungi,fungi on several hosts from Europe have been also investigated.Even with the well studied European microfungi an astounding percentage of new taxa(32–76%)have been discovered.The work is just a beginning and it will be a daunting task to document this astonishingly high apparent novelty among fungi.

Diversity of root-associated fungi of Vaccinium mandarinorum along a human disturbance gradient in subtropical forests,China

Aims Ericaceous plant species can host diverse fungi in their roots,including ericoid mycorrhizal fungi(ERMF),endophytes,pathogens and some species with unknown functions.However,how this diversity of fungi responds to different human disturbances is not well understood.Methods In this study,we examined the effects of different human disturbance on fungal diversity in hair roots of Vaccinium mandarinorum,an ericaceous plant.Fungal DNA was extracted from hair roots of V.mandarinorum and high-throughput sequencing was applied to detect the diversity of root-associated fungi along a human disturbance gradient in subtropical forests in Gutianshan National Nature Reserve(GNNR)in East China.The four forest types with different disturbance regime were:old growth forest(OGF),secondary forest with once cut(SEC I),secondary forest with twice cut(SEC II)and Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation(PLF).Important Findings The results showed that:(i)diverse fungal operational units(OTUs)were detected in hair roots of V.mandarinorum in the four types of forests,covering fungal phyla of Ascomycota,Basidiomycota,Chytridiomycota,Glomeromycota and Zygomycota;(ii)Community composition of root-associated fungi of V.mandarinorum in PLF was distinct from those in the other three forest types,and two types of secondary forests had similar fungal community composition;(iii)Different fungal families respond differently to human disturbances:fungal families with significant preference to OGF were ectomycorrhizal or saprophytic fungi while fungal families with higher relative abundance in PLF were plant pathogenic or saprophytic fungi;(iv)The first principal component(PC1)of plant community had a significant effect on composition of root-associated fungal community,while edaphic parameters showed no significant effect on fungal community composition in roots of V.mandarinorum.Our results help to better understand the responses of both ericaceous plants and their fungal partners to human disturbances and forest managements.

Endophytic fungi harbored in Cannabis sativa L.:diversity and potential as biocontrol agents against host plant-specific phytopathogens

The objective of the present work was isolation,phylogenetic characterization,and assessment of biocontrol potential of endophytic fungi harbored in various tissues(leaves,twigs,and apical and lateral buds)of the medicinal plant,Cannabis sativa L.A total of 30 different fungal endophytes were isolated from all the plant tissues which were authenticated by molecular identification based on rDNA ITS sequence analysis(ITS1,5.8S and ITS2 regions).The Menhinick’s index revealed that the buds were immensely rich in fungal species,and Camargo’s index showed the highest tissue-specific fungal dominance for the twigs.The most dominant species was Penicillium copticola that could be isolated from the twigs,leaves,and apical and lateral buds.A detailed calculation of Fisher’s log series index,Shannon diversity index,Simpson’s index,Simpson’s diversity index,and Margalef’s richness revealed moderate overall biodiversity of C.sativa endophytes distributed among its tissues.The fungal endophytes were challenged by two host phytopathogens,Botrytis cinerea and Trichothecium roseum,devising a dual culture antagonistic assay on five different media.We observed 11 distinct types of pathogen inhibition encompassing a variable degree of antagonism(%)on changing the media.This revealed the potential chemodiversity of the isolated fungal endophytes not only as promising resources of biocontrol agents against the known and emerging phytopathogens of Cannabis plants,but also as sustainable resources of biologically active and defensive secondary metabolites.

Fungal community succession on decomposing leaf litter across five phylogenetically related tree species in a subtropical forest

Fungi are an essential component of the ecosystem.They play an integral role in the decomposition of leaf litter and return nutrients to the ecosystem through nutrient cycling.They are considered as the“key players”in leaf litter decomposition,because of their ability to produce a wide range of extracellular enzymes.Time-related changes of fungal communities during leaf litter decomposition have been relatively well-investigated.However,it has not been established how the tree species,tree phylogeny,and leaf litter chemistry influence fungal communities during decomposition.Using direct observations and a culturing approach,this study compiles fungi found in freshly collected leaf litter from five phylogenetically related,native tree species in Taiwan:Celtis formosana(CF),Ficus ampelas(FA),Ficus septica(FS),Macaranga tanarius(MT),and Morus australis(MA).We investigated(i)the effects of tree species(including tree phylogeny)and leaf litter chemistry on fungal community succession,and(ii)specific patterns of fungal succession(including diversity and taxonomic community assembly)on decomposing leaf litter across the selected tree species.We hypothesized that host species and leaf litter chemistry significantly affect fungal community succession.A total of 1325 leaves(CF:275,FA:275,FS:275,MT:275 and MA:225)were collected and 236 fungal taxa were recorded(CF:48,FA:46,FS:64,MT:42 and MA:36).Tree species relationships had variable associations on the fungal communities,as even closely related tree species had strongly differing communities during decomposition.A high number of species were unique to a single tree species and may indicate‘host-specificity’to a particular leaf litter.The overlap of microfungal species in pair wise comparisons of tree species was low(7–16%),and only 1–2%of microfungal species were observed in leaves of all tree species.The percentage of occurrences of fungal communities using Hierarchical Cluster Analyses(HCA)showed that there were at least four succession stages in each tree species during decomposition.Fungal diversity increased at the beginning of each tree species leaf decay,reached peaks,and declined at the final stages.Overall,our findings demonstrate that tree species and leaf litter chemistry are important variables in determining fungal diversity and community composition in leaf litter.Referring to the establishment of fungal discoveries from this experimental design,two new families,two new genera,40 new species and 56 new host records were reported.This study provides a host-fungus database for future studies on these hosts and increases the knowledge of fungal diversity in leaf litter.

Similarities and spatial variations of bacterial and fungal communities in field rice planthopper (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) populations

Rice planthoppers are notorious plant sap-feeding pests which cause serious damage.While several microbes in rice planthoppers have been broadly characterized,the abundance and diversity of bacteria and fungi in field planthoppers are largely unknown.This study investigated the bacterial and fungal community compositions of Chinese wild rice planthoppers Laodelphax striatellus and Sogatella furcifera using parallel 16S rRNA gene amplicon and internal transcribed space region sequencing.The bacteria varied sig-nificantly between the species and were partitioned significantly by sex,tissues and host environments in each species.The majority of bacteria were affiliated with the genera Wol-bachia,Cardinium,Rickettsia and Pantoea.The abundance of Wolbachia was negatively correlated with that of Cardinium in both planthopper species.Compared with bacteria,the abundance and diversity of fiungi did not differ between sexes but both were enriched in the gut.The bacterial community as a whole showed no significant correlation with the fungal community.The majority of fungi were related to Sarocldium,Alternaria,Malasseria,Aspergillus and Curvularia.A phylogenetic analysis revealed that these fungi were closely related to botanic symbionts or pathogens.Our results provide novel insights into the bacteria and fungi of rice planthoppers.

Microbial diversity in coastal sediments during pre- and post-tsunami periods in the south east coast of India

Sediment samples were collected from 12 beaches affected by the 2004 Asian Tsunami in the south-east coast of India between Vanagiri and Nagoor. The objective of the present study is to delineate the microbial diversity in pre- and post-tsunami disaster coastal sediments. The collected marine sediments indicate that the overall microbial diversity is higher in the pre-tsunami sediments. The increase in pathogenic bacteria and fungal species after the tsunami is obscured due to inundation and backwashing of seawater along the coast. The reduction of other microbial diversity after the tsunami is attributed that the coastal and shelf sediments play an important role in the demineralization of organic matter, which supports the growth of microbes. The continuous exchange of ocean water and backwashing of coastal sediments by the tsunami wave probably reduced the pathogenic bacterial diversity in the sediments.

Truffle-like fungi sporocarps in a eucalypt-dominated landscape: patterns in diversity and community structure

Truffle-like fungi are highly diverse yet poorly known in Australia.To assess the species richness,biomass,and community assemblages of truffle-like fungi in different habitats we sampled sporocarps of truffle-like fungi in three eucalypt-dominated forest types(grassy woodland,wet sclerophyll forest,and dry sclerophyll forest)once in summer and once in winter,at two sites(Mount Kaputar and New England)in northern New South Wales,Australia.One hundred and eighteen species in 35 genera were collected;over half(51.7%)of the species were undescribed.Grassy woodland and wet forest communities had greater species richness and a lower standing crop than dry forest communities.Species richness and standing crop was greater in winter than in summer.Overall,species from the family Russulaceae,and the genera Dermocybe,Descomyces,and Hysterangium were dominant.Community composition varied among forest types and each forest type exhibited a suite of unique and common species,although much variation was unexplained.Variation in community structure was associated with some habitat attributes;at Mount Kaputar,woody plant species richness,canopy cover,litter depth,soil phosphorous,and elevation helped explain the sporocarp communities of different forest types,while at New England,woody plant species richness,rainfall,topographic aspect,soil texture,and soil nitrogen helped explain communities.This work contributes to knowledge of trufflelike fungal diversity,the factors affecting sporocarp distribution across landscapes,and the availability of sporocarps as a food resource for mycophagous mammals.Greater understanding of fungal diversity and mammal-fungal interactions also has important implications for managing forest biodiversity.

Endophytic Colletotrichum species from Bletilla ochracea (Orchidaceae), with descriptions of seven new speices

Thirty-six strains of endophytic Colletotrichum species were isolated from leaves of Bletilla ochracea Schltr.(Orchidaceae)collected from 5 sites in Guizhou,China.Seventeen different species,including 7 new species(namely C.bletillum,C.caudasporum,C.duyunensis,C.endophytum,C.excelsum-altitudum and C.guizhouensis and C.ochracea),8 previously described species(C.boninense,C.cereale,C.destructivum,C.karstii,C.liriopes,C.miscanthi,C.parsonsiae and C.tofieldiae)and 2 sterile mycelia were identified.All of the taxa were identified based on morphology and phylogeny inferred from multi-locus sequences,including the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer(ITS)region,partial genes ofβ-tubulin(TUB2),actin(ACT)and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase(GAPDH).Comprehensive morphological descriptions and illustrations are provided for new species.Our investigation indicates a high diversity of Colletotrichum species in B.ochracea.

Culturable mycobiota from Karst caves in China II,with descriptions of 33 new species

Karst caves are characterized by darkness,low temperature,high humidity,and oligotrophic organisms due to its relatively closed and strongly zonal environments.Up to now,1626 species in 644 genera of fungi have been reported from caves and mines worldwide.In this study,we investigated the culturable mycobiota in karst caves in southwest China.In total,251 samples from thirteen caves were collected and 2344 fungal strains were isolated using dilution plate method.Preliminary ITS analyses showed that these strains belonged to 610 species in 253 genera.Among these species,88.0%belonged to Ascomy-cota,8.0%Basidiomycota,1.9%Mortierellomycota,1.9%Mucoromycota,and 0.2%Glomeromycota.The majority of these species have been previously known from other environments,and some of them are known as mycorrhizal or pathogenic fungi.About 52.8%of these species were discovered for the first time in karst caves.Based on morphological and phyloge-netic distinctions,33 new species were identified and described in this paper.Meanwhile,one new genus of Cordycipitaceae,Gamszarea,and five new combinations are established.This work further demonstrated that Karst caves encompass a high fungal diversity,including a number of previously unknown species.Taxonomic novelties:New genus:Gamszarea Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai;Novel species:Amphichorda cavernicola,Aspergillus limoniformis,Aspergillus phialiformis,Aspergillus phialosimplex,Auxarthron chinense,Auxarthron guangxiense,Auxarthronopsis globiasca,Auxarthronopsis pedicellaris,Auxarthronopsis pulverea,Auxarthronopsis stercicola,Chrysosporium pallidum,Gamszarea humicola,Gamszarea lunata,Gamszarea microspora,Gymnoascus flavus,Jattaea reniformis,Lecanicillium magnisporum,Microascus collaris,Microas-cus levis,Microascus sparsimycelialis,Microascus superficialis,Microascus trigonus,Nigrospora globosa,Paracremonium apiculatum,Paracremonium ellipsoideum,Paraphaeosphaeria hydei,Pseudoscopulariopsis asperispora,Setophaeosphaeria microspora,Simplicillium album,Simplicillium humicola,Wardomycopsis dolichi,Wardomycopsis ellipsoconidiophora,Wardomycopsis fusca;New combinations:Gamszarea indonesiaca(Kurihara&Sukarno)Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai,Gamszarea kalimantanensis(Kurihara&Sukarno)Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai,Gamszarea restricta(Hubka,Kubátová,Nonaka,Čmoková&Řehulka)Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai,Gamszarea testudinea(Hubka,Kubátová,Nonaka,Čmoková&Řehulka)Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai,Gamszarea wallacei(H.C.Evans)Z.F.Zhang&L.Cai.