Beneficial microbes such as plant mutualistic fungi, hold the promise of ameliorating challenges faced in native plant conservation such as disease management. As an alternative to costly chemical pest control, conservation efforts could potentially harness the benefits of plant mutualistic fungi to aid in defense and disease resistance, but there are few tests of this notion. We set out to test the

Plant hybridization is common and important in ecological and economic contexts, however little is known about the impact of plant hybridization on ectomycorrhizal fungal (EMF) communities in natural habitats. We used a Populus hybrid system (P. angustifolia x P. fremontii) in a heterogeneous riparian landscape to address the hypothesis that EMF communities differ among hybrids and their parental species

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi affect ecosystem processes improving plant tolerance in (hyper)arid/saline environments. However, there are no previous studies on the presence of AM fungi in the Atacama Desert (Northern Chile), the driest desert in the world. Here, we studied the root and rhizosphere in 111 samples of representative plants from three elevation gradients: (i) hyperarid desert (700–2000

Current environmental change predictions forecast intensified drought conditions. It is becoming increasingly evident that plant communities are sensitive to drought and that soil-inhabiting microbial communities vary along precipitation gradients. However, the drought sensitivity of microbial communities in general and that of soil fungi in particular remains unclear, even though understanding their

Although Russula ochroleuca is a common ectomycorrhizal (ECM) species in European forests, its reproduction mode, dispersal range, and population structure remains unknown. Altogether, 462 fruit bodies from three spruce forests (two 15 km apart, one 230 km distant from the first two) were analysed using AFLP markers. A mixed mode of reproduction, with several large genets accompanied by a majority

Leptographium terebrantis has been implicated as a contributing factor of P. taeda decline and mortality over the past several decades. We examined the potential of L. terebrantis to cause decline symptoms and determined the relationship between pathogen spread and the formation of new sapwood. The study was undertaken in a 13-y-old P. taeda plantation using artificial inoculations of fungal-colonized

Understanding the distribution of parasites is crucial for biodiversity conservation. Here, we studied the distribution of the ectoparasitic fungus Laboulbenia formicarum in native and invasive Lasius ants in a 2000 km2 area. We screened over 16,000 ant workers in 478 colonies of five different species. We found that Lab. formicarum was rare in native Lasius species but infected 58% of the colonies

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) enhance nutrient provision in exchange for carbon. However, a shift from nutrient to carbon limitation, induced by repeated or intense defoliation, can represent a trade-off between plant regrowth and the maintenance of mycorrhiza. The combined effects of AMF, phosphorus and defoliation on growth of Agropyron elongatum (C3 grass, low mycorrhizal responsiveness) and

Fungal endophytes may alter plant responses to the environment, but how does the environment affect the communities of fungal symbionts within plants? We examined the impact of nutrient addition and herbivore exclusion on endophyte communities of the prairie grass Andropogon gerardii in a full factorial field experiment. Fungi were cultured from stems, young leaves, and mature leaves, ITS sequences

Despite the important role of fungi for ecosystems, relatively little is known about the factors underlying the dynamics of their diversity. Moreover, studies do not typically consider their dark diversity: the species absent from an otherwise suitable site. Here, we examined potential drivers of local fungal dark diversity in temperate woodland and open habitats using LiDAR and in-situ field measurements

The pinewood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, is the pathogenic agent of pine wilt disease and a globally notable pine pest. Despite being a plant pathogen, B. xylophilus has a mycophagous phase during its life cycle. We assessed the capacity for polyphagy of mycetophagous pinewood nematodes, testing which of the common species of fungi in pine trees provide better food and higher population growth

Rapid climate change threatens plant communities. While many studies address the impact of climate change on plants and mechanisms of their resilience to climate stressors, the role of the plant microbiome in aiding plants' adaptation to climate change has been less investigated. We argue here that fungal endophytes, an important constituent of the plant microbiome, may be key to the ability of plants

Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae are two promising microbial agents for biopesticides development against the banana root borer Cosmopolites sordidus. In this study, germination, mycelial growth, and sporulation of six local Cameroonian isolates of those two species were assessed under seven different thermal conditions (13, 15, 20, 25, 29 33, and 37 °C) to select thermo-tolerant isolates

Fairy rings are conspicuous features of the Laramie Basin of southeastern Wyoming. Ten fairy ring sites chosen for intensive study were located using a small plane and 415 whole and partial fairy rings were georeferenced and ground-truthed. Fairy ring forming fungi were identified using a combination of taxonomy and ITS fungal barcode sequence comparisons. Precipitation, vegetation, soil type, elevation

The McMurdo Dry Valleys surface is mainly constituted from unconsolidated permafrost. Despite the combination of cold and dry conditions, transiently wetted soils close to lake edges are hotspots of intense biological activity, that can support the surrounding soil ecosystems in such extreme environments. These soils host simple microbial communities that allow easy characterization of the parameters

Ferns represent the basal group of vascular plants and are known to have fungal interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, but diversity of endophytic fungi from ferns is rarely studied. Moreover, fungal diversity associated with ferns is likely underestimated as most studies have been performed based on a microscopic or culture-dependent approach. In this study, we investigated the endophytic

Increasing evidence suggests that elevational gradients of soil fungal richness are highly variable, but few studies have examined how diversity components of each guild contribute to overall fungal diversity. Here, we aimed to disentangle the relationships between total, saprotrophic, and ectomycorrhizal fungal richness, and environmental factors across elevational gradients in cool-temperate montane

Hericium flagellum is a highly host-dependent wood-inhabiting fungus in Europe. Its occurrence is strongly connected to the distribution of silver fir (Abies alba). We analysed available data describing ecological factors, especially habitat, substrate preferences and phenology, which are regarded as drivers of H. flagellum occurrence. We also implemented ecological niche modelling to determine the

Epidemics of Scots pine blister rust, caused by Cronartium pini, have become an increasing problem in northern Finland and Sweden. The biology of the rust fungus is complex, with two different life cycle forms that cannot be morphologically distinguished, and it is unclear to what extent the two forms contribute to the epidemics. Genetic structure of fourteen populations of C. pini were investigated

Crops’ wild relatives host a wide range of microorganisms, including some beneficial species that are not found or are under-represented in the domesticated crops. Our goal was to study the underexplored composition of root-associated fungal communities in endangered wild grapevines. We found high taxonomic diversity representing multiple trophic guilds that include beneficial symbiotrophs and endophytes

We studied the biogeography and community structure of root-associated and ectomycorrhizal fungal communities in two related species of tropical Juglandaceae that have disjunct distributions in Asia and Mesoamerica. We tested the effects of environmental and dispersal factors in structuring root-associated fungi at a regional scale. We used Illumina sequencing to document fungi on the roots of Oreomunnea

Certain fungal endophytes improve plant resistance to biotic stresses in forest trees. In this study, three stem fungal endophytes belonging to classes Cystobasidiomycetes, Eurotiomycetes and Dothideomycetes were selected from 210 isolates for their potential as enhancers of Ulmus minor resistance to Ophiostoma novo-ulmi. We evaluated phenotypic traits of these endophytes that could be beneficial for

Interactions between diverse groups of organisms influence the functioning and diversity of ecosystems. Salient examples of such relationships are those among hypogeous fungi, trees and mycophagous mammals. To investigate the role of small mammals in transporting fungal spores within and outside forests as well as the influence of seasons, habitats and species on small mammal mycophagy, we set up a

Old trees are rare in the landscape, as are many of their associated species. Veteranisation is a method by which attempts are made to create microhabitats, otherwise found only in old trees, in younger trees at an earlier stage than would occur naturally. Here, we analysed the early fungal succession in 6 y-old veteranisation wounds in ca. 100 y old living oak trunks by DNA-barcoding of the wood at

We aimed to evaluate if exotic ectomycorrhizal fungi from exotic pine plantations disperse through non-native, but also native, mammals in a mountain ecosystem devoid of native ECM plants. Among four non-native and three native mammal species, feces of non-native wild boar (Sus scrofa) and brown hare (Lepus europaeus), and native pampa fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) were selected to inoculate seedlings

With a warming and drying climate, coniferous forests worldwide are increasingly threatened by wildfires. We examined how fire impacts ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi associated with Pinus ponderosa, an important tree species in western North America. In the biodiverse Madrean Sky Islands, P. ponderosa forests exist on insular mountains separated by arid lands. How do EM fungi in these isolated ranges respond

Fungal endophyte communities are poorly investigated in extreme habitats such as deserts. We used cultivation and Sanger sequencing to investigate the effects of environmental variables on the endophytic fungal communities of eight Iranian desert plants. Host species was the main factor shaping the endophyte composition, while soil type additionally affected endophytes of above- and below-ground organs

Understanding the biogeographic patterns of root-associated fungi and their sensitivity to temperature may improve predictions of future changes in terrestrial biodiversity and associated ecosystem processes, but data are currently limited. Anticipating change will require combining observational data, which predict how climatic factors limit current species distributions, with direct manipulations

Four nematophagous fungi (NF) were identified by traditional and molecular techniques, and their in vitro predatory activity (PA) against Haemonchus contortus (Hc), and Panagrellus redivivus (Pr) was assessed. Additionally, the nematocidal activity (NA) of fungal organic extracts (OEs) obtained from a methanol/dichloromethane system was assessed. Fungi were grown in PDB medium under shaking (SchC)

Vertically transmitted fungal endophytes are common defensive symbionts of cool-season grasses. Protection against herbivores has been generally associated with alkaloids produced in the grass-endophyte symbiosis. However, many other changes occur in host metabolism like the release of VOCs. We aimed at characterizing the profile of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) induced by simultaneous fungal endophyte

Climate change is expected to strongly impact biodiversity in Alpine ecosystems and species distribution modelling is increasingly used to provide anticipatory information to guide conservation. In this study, (1) we quantified the range loss, range gain, range change and range turnover caused by climate change in the genus Peltigera a group of terricolous lichens widespread across the Alps, and then

Understanding the relationship between population genetic structure and phenotypic diversity is a fundamental question in evolutionary biology. Yeasts display wide genetic diversity and exhibit remarkably diverse heterotrophic metabolisms that allow a variety of niche occupations. However, little is known about how intra-species genetic population structure is related to trait diversity in yeasts.

Protected areas with restricted management can provide refugia for fungi, but are usually selected based on conservation strategies for flora and fauna. Despite the important role of fungi in floodplains, they are rarely considered in conservation projects. The SwissFungi database covering all biogeographic regions in Switzerland, and consisting of 84% citizen science data, provided a valuable basis

Latitudinal gradients are linked to the dynamics of infectious diseases. Both prevalence and infection intensity of the amphibian-killing fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), vary with latitude. Here, we tested whether abiotic and biotic factors are associated with Bd infection prevalence and intensity along a large latitudinal gradient across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We detected a positive

The factors shaping endophytic fungal assemblages in reproductive organs have been less evaluated than in vegetative organs. Here, the temporal dynamics of fungal endophytes in inflorescences and fruits of olive tree cultivars with contrasting anthracnose susceptibilities was assessed, starting before flowers open until fruit ripening. Fungal diversity assessed by rRNA sequencing of cultivable isolates

Genetic and phenotypic variation among individuals increases population resilience to external disturbances and enables quicker adaptation to changing environments. Since the predominant phase in the fungal lifecycle occurs belowground or within substrates, it is difficult to assess the level of variation in functional traits occurring within species in natural environments. In this study, we investigated

Timing of pruning may affect wound susceptibility to wood-invading fungi, such as those associated with grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs). This study aimed to determine the effect of pruning time on natural fungal infection in six vineyards in Galicia, Spain, during two periods of three months each, from November to February and from February to May by ITS2 high-throughput amplicon sequencing. Fungal

Fungi are key mediators of ecosystem processes in temperate forests. Hence, understanding of fungal community development is central to better understand the mechanisms driving shifts in ecosystem processes during forest succession. We studied fungal communities in soil, rhizosphere and roots in a Central European forest chronosequence (1–137 years) dominated by Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies. We

The growth and yield of crops are severely threatened by drought stress. As the symbiotic partners of plants, the function of the symbiotic interaction between arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) and endophytic fungi on host drought resistance is still unclear. Through high-throughput sequencing of peanuts cultivated in a natural soil environment with different soil water conditions, our study

Entomopathogenic fungi are widespread in terrestrial ecosystems and can be used as models for studying host-pathogen interactions. However, the associations between fungal virulence and ecosystem abundance, and the importance of virulence for ecological fitness are poorly understood. To study these associations, we investigated five selected strains from a natural community of the entomopathogenic

The aim of the study was to examine the species diversity of mycoplankton in the profiles of eutrophic lakes with different abundance of indicator microorganisms and aerobic conditions, and to check whether there are species of mycoplankton characteristic for particular layers of the studied limnic ecosystems. It has been shown that the epilimnion and metalimnion of the studied lakes are characterized

Occasionally, the symbiosis of the fungus-growing ants is threatened by ascomycetous fungi mainly by species in the genus Escovopsis. GC-MS analyses were conducted to investigate the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by Escovopsis and the mutualistic Leucocoprinus gongylophorus during dual-culture. In dual-culture Escovopsis' development was faster. Hexadecanoic acid (palmitic acid) and VOCs

Despite the advantages of the next generation sequencing (NGS) techniques, one of their caveats is that they do not differentiate between microbes that are actively participating in carbon cycling in the rhizosphere and microbes performing other functions in the soils. Here we combined DNA-SIP with NGS to investigate which rhizosphere fungi actively assimilate plant-derived carbon. We provided 13CO2

Ambrosia beetles farm symbiotic ambrosia fungi in wood. Ambrosia fungi generally belong to Ascomycota, rely upon beetles for dispersal, reproduce asexually, are poor saprotrophic competitors in wood, and lack fruit bodies. We provide the first account of consistent fruit body production in the absence of beetles by an ambrosia fungus, Flavodon ambrosius, the basidiomycete symbiont of Ambrosiodmus minor

Soil-borne fungi are considered important drivers of plant community structure, diversity and ecosystem process in terrestrial ecosystems. Yet, our understanding of their identity and belowground association with different plant species in natural ecosystems such as grasslands is limited. We identified the soil-borne fungal communities in the roots of a range of plant species representing the main

The role of infectious disease in regulating host populations is increasingly recognized, but how environmental conditions affect pathogen communities and infection levels remains poorly understood. Over 3 y, we compared foliar disease burden, fungal pathogen community composition, and foliar chemistry in the perennial bunchgrass Stipa pulchra occurring in adjacent serpentine and nonserpentine grassland

Endophytic insect pathogenic fungi of the order Hypocreales reside in plant tissues as mutualistic partners that protect plants against insect herbivores. Caterpillar fungus Ophiocordyceps sinensis (order: Hypocreales, family: Ophiocordycipitaceae) is often described as an entomophagous fungus that parasitizes lepidopteran larvae of the ghost moth genus Thitarodes (family: Hepialidae), but recent evidence

The Nectriaceae includes numerous canker pathogens. Due to the scarcity of ascomata on many hosts, comprehensive surveys are lacking. Here we characterize the diversity of perithecia-producing nectriaceous fungi across the central Appalachians in eastern North America. Nine species from eleven hosts were recovered including a novel Corinectria sp. from Picea rubens. Neonectria ditissima and Neonectria faginata

How do elemental composition (published data) and melanin (new data) shape the relative growth rate (RGR; new data) of the cephalolichen Lobaria pulmonaria, a member of the Lobarion community? We transplanted L.pulmonaria onto Picea glauca x engelmannii branches in three unmanaged canopy settings in inland British Columbia: within Populus dripzones supporting Lobarion; outside dripzones supporting

In tropical sky-islands, cold-affinity populations tend to become isolated at highlands during the interglacial periods, and to expand into the lowlands where they become more connected during the glacial periods. Although this has been widely studied in trees, it is poorly understood how fungal symbionts can differentiate among mountains (allopatrically), or within a single mountain (parapatrically)

Most trees host hundreds of species of fungi asymptomatically in their internal tissues, known collectively as fungal endophytes. The Foraging Ascomycete (FA) hypothesis proposed that some fungal endophytes inhabit the internal leaf tissue of forest trees in order to enhance dispersal to substrates on the forest floor, by using leaves as vectors and as refugia during periods of environmental stress

In Brazilian savannas, stingless bees are associated with yeast communities composed mainly of Starmerella species. This study aimed to establish the distribution of yeasts associated with the bee species Frieseomelitta varia, Scaptotrigona aff. postica, Scaptotrigona polysticta, Tetragonisca angustula angustula, Melipona compressipes manaosensis and Melipona scutellaris in northern savannas and the

Hatchery practices are pivotal to conservation success. In sea turtle hatcheries, reusing sand is a norm, but it remains unclear whether such an approach increases the risk of Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) infection and mortality in sea turtle eggs. We employed 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing in sands and isolated Fusarium strains from diseased eggs across seven turtle hatcheries and their

Increasing numbers of fungal species have been described recently from semi-natural grassland soils, raising the conservation interest of these species-rich habitats. Here, we characterize the soil fungal community inhabiting six fairy rings in a montane grassland of the Eastern Pre-Pyrenees through fungal DNA metabarcoding of ITS2 amplicons. Distinct soil fungal communities were observed outside of

Interactions between established and recruiting plants play an important role in species coexistence in natural plant communities. However, our knowledge on the particular ecological drivers of these interactions is still limited. We use spatial point pattern analysis to study the spatial patterns of recruitment and infection in two plant-pathogen systems, each involving a fungus with a different life

To further understand interactions between myxomycetes and Collembola, we investigated food preferences of Collembola for myxomycete plasmodia and their responses to Collembola. We cultured two myxomycete species (Physarum melleum and Diderma sp.) and two Collembola species (Vitronura pygmaea and Ceratophysella denticulata) in different combinations for 20 d. Vitronura pygmaea consumed plasmodia, whereas

The study compares the epiphytic lichen communities of two different ecological systems of northern Poland, a non-forested area and a natural lowland deciduous forest corresponding to the potential vegetation flora of a large part of Central Europe, in relation to the same tree species. The impact of habitat type and tree species on individual tree properties and the association between tree size,