Aquatic hyphomycetes (AH) are ubiquitous fungi playing a key role in the decomposition of leaf litter in streams. Though their functional performance is modulated by their community composition, this ecological relationship remains poorly investigated due to a lack of suitable methods to identify the biomass-contribution of individual species to AH communities. We, therefore, designed and validated TaqMan® probe-based qPCR assays targeting ten AH species common in temperate regions, allowing detection and quantification of these species within complex communities. In a further step, we compared qPCR-obtained DNA levels to concentrations of the traditional fungal biomass proxy ergosterol. We demonstrate that the qPCR assays are valid for use and that DNA and ergosterol concentrations were significantly positively correlated, suggesting DNA levels as a suitable species-specific biomass proxy. Accordingly, the use of these assays may facilitate multi-species experiments to address major research issues in stress and community ecology including biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships.

水生真菌（AH）是无处不在的真菌，​​在溪流中凋落物的分解中起关键作用。尽管它们的功能性能受到其群落组成的调节，但由于缺乏确定个体物种对AH群落的生物量贡献的合适方法，因此这种生态关系仍然研究不足。因此，我们设计并验证了以TaqMan®探针为基础的qPCR测定法，该测定法针对温带地区常见的10种AH物种，从而可以在复杂的群落中检测和定量这些物种。在下一步中，我们将qPCR获得的DNA水平与传统真菌生物质代理麦角固醇的浓度进行了比较。我们证明qPCR测定法可有效使用，并且DNA和麦角固醇浓度显着正相关，建议将DNA水平作为合适的物种特异性生物量替代物。因此，这些分析方法的使用可以促进多物种实验，以解决压力和社区生态学（包括生物多样性-生态系统功能关系）中的主要研究问题。