scholarly journals An evolutionary signal to fungal succession during plant litter decay

2019 ◽  
Vol 95 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sasha Vivelo ◽  
Jennifer M Bhatnagar
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Climate Factors ◽  
Litter Type ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Decay Stage ◽  
Fungal Succession ◽  
Litter Decay ◽  
Late Stages

ABSTRACT Ecologists have frequently observed a pattern of fungal succession during litter decomposition, wherein different fungal taxa dominate different stages of decay in individual ecosystems. However, it is unclear which biological features of fungi give rise to this pattern. We tested a longstanding hypothesis that fungal succession depends on the evolutionary history of species, such that different fungal phyla prefer different decay stages. To test this hypothesis, we performed a meta-analysis across studies in 22 different ecosystem types to synthesize fungal decomposer abundances at early, middle and late stages of plant litter decay. Fungal phyla varied in relative abundance throughout decay, with fungi in the Ascomycota reaching highest relative abundance during early stages of decay (P < 0.001) and fungi in the Zygomycota reaching highest relative abundance during late stages of decay (P < 0.001). The best multiple regression model to explain variation in abundance of these fungal phyla during decay included decay stage, as well as plant litter type and climate factors. Most variation in decay-stage preference of fungal taxa was observed at basal taxonomic levels (phylum and class) rather than finer taxonomic levels (e.g. genus). For many finer-scale taxonomic groups and functional groups of fungi, plant litter type and climate factors were better correlates with relative abundance than decay stage per se, suggesting that the patchiness of fungal community composition in space is related to both resource and climate niches of different fungal taxa. Our study indicates that decomposer fungal succession is partially rooted in fungal decomposers’ deep evolutionary history, traceable to the divergence among phyla.

scholarly journals Gut Microbiome Composition Remains Stable in Individuals with Diabetes-Related Early to Late Stage Chronic Kidney Disease

Biomedicines ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Ashani Lecamwasam ◽  
Tiffanie M. Nelson ◽  
Leni Rivera ◽  
Elif I. Ekinci ◽  
Richard Saffery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Kidney Disease ◽  
Kidney Disease ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Early Event ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Microbiome Composition ◽  
Stool Samples ◽  
Late Stages

(1) Background: Individuals with diabetes and chronic kidney disease display gut dysbiosis when compared to healthy controls. However, it is unknown whether there is a change in dysbiosis across the stages of diabetic chronic kidney disease. We investigated a cross-sectional study of patients with early and late diabetes associated chronic kidney disease to identify possible microbial differences between these two groups and across each of the stages of diabetic chronic kidney disease. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 95 adults. DNA extracted from collected stool samples were used for 16S rRNA sequencing to identify the bacterial community in the gut. (3) Results: The phylum Firmicutes was the most abundant and its mean relative abundance was similar in the early and late chronic kidney disease group, 45.99 ± 0.58% and 49.39 ± 0.55%, respectively. The mean relative abundance for family Bacteroidaceae, was also similar in the early and late group, 29.15 ± 2.02% and 29.16 ± 1.70%, respectively. The lower abundance of Prevotellaceae remained similar across both the early 3.87 ± 1.66% and late 3.36 ± 0.98% diabetic chronic kidney disease groups. (4) Conclusions: The data arising from our cohort of individuals with diabetes associated chronic kidney disease show a predominance of phyla Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. The families Ruminococcaceae and Bacteroidaceae represent the highest abundance, while the beneficial Prevotellaceae family were reduced in abundance. The most interesting observation is that the relative abundance of these gut microbes does not change across the early and late stages of diabetic chronic kidney disease, suggesting that this is an early event in the development of diabetes associated chronic kidney disease. We hypothesise that the dysbiotic microbiome acquired during the early stages of diabetic chronic kidney disease remains relatively stable and is only one of many risk factors that influence progressive kidney dysfunction.

scholarly journals Mycobiome Composition and Diversity under the Long-Term Application of Spent Mushroom Substrate and Chicken Manure

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 410
Author(s):  
Magdalena Frąc ◽  
Giorgia Pertile ◽  
Jacek Panek ◽  
Agata Gryta ◽  
Karolina Oszust ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis ◽  
Crop Protection ◽  
Cropping System ◽  
Chicken Manure ◽  
Spent Mushroom Substrate ◽  
Organic Additives ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Chain Reactions

Waste exogenous organic matter, including spent mushroom substrate (SMS) and chicken manure (CM), can be used as the basis of a soil-improving cropping system in sustainable agriculture. However, there is—as yet—a lack of information about important quality indicators such as the fungal community relative abundance, structure and biodiversity in soils treated with these additives. In this study, the responses of the soil fungal community composition and mycobiome diversity to SMS and CM application compared to the control soil were evaluated using a combination of the following molecular approaches: quantitative polymerase chain reactions, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, and next-generation sequencing. The most abundant phylum for both treatments was Ascomycota, followed by Basidiomycota. The application of SMS and CM increased the abundance of fungi, including Tremellomycetes and Pezizomycetes for the SMS additive, while the Mortierellomycetes, Pezizomycetes, and Leotiomycetes levels increased after CM addition. SMS and CM beneficially reduced the relative abundance of several operational taxonomic units (OTUs) which are potential crop pathogens. The results provide a novel insight into the fungal community associated with organic additives, which should be beneficial in the task of managing the soil mycobiome as well as crop protection and productivity.

scholarly journals Plant Litter Type Dictates Microbial Communities Responsible for Greenhouse Gas Production in Amended Lake Sediments

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurt M. Yakimovich ◽  
Erik J. S. Emilson ◽  
Michael A. Carson ◽  
Andrew J. Tanentzap ◽  
Nathan Basiliko ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Lake Sediments ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Litter Type

scholarly journals Limited Effects of Variable-Retention Harvesting on Fungal Communities Decomposing Fine Roots in Coastal Temperate Rainforests

2017 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy J. Philpott ◽  
Jason S. Barker ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
Sue J. Grayston
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Fine Root ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Decomposition Rates ◽  
Fungal Community Composition ◽  
Variable Retention ◽  
Variable Retention Harvesting

ABSTRACT Fine root litter is the principal source of carbon stored in forest soils and a dominant source of carbon for fungal decomposers. Differences in decomposer capacity between fungal species may be important determinants of fine-root decomposition rates. Variable-retention harvesting (VRH) provides refuge for ectomycorrhizal fungi, but its influence on fine-root decomposers is unknown, as are the effects of functional shifts in these fungal communities on carbon cycling. We compared fungal communities decomposing fine roots (in litter bags) under VRH, clear-cut, and uncut stands at two sites (6 and 13 years postharvest) and two decay stages (43 days and 1 year after burial) in Douglas fir forests in coastal British Columbia, Canada. Fungal species and guilds were identified from decomposed fine roots using high-throughput sequencing. Variable retention had short-term effects on β-diversity; harvest treatment modified the fungal community composition at the 6-year-postharvest site, but not at the 13-year-postharvest site. Ericoid and ectomycorrhizal guilds were not more abundant under VRH, but stand age significantly structured species composition. Guild composition varied by decay stage, with ruderal species later replaced by saprotrophs and ectomycorrhizae. Ectomycorrhizal abundance on decomposing fine roots may partially explain why fine roots typically decompose more slowly than surface litter. Our results indicate that stand age structures fine-root decomposers but that decay stage is more important in structuring the fungal community than shifts caused by harvesting. The rapid postharvest recovery of fungal communities decomposing fine roots suggests resiliency within this community, at least in these young regenerating stands in coastal British Columbia. IMPORTANCE Globally, fine roots are a dominant source of carbon in forest soils, yet the fungi that decompose this material and that drive the sequestration or respiration of this carbon remain largely uncharacterized. Fungi vary in their capacity to decompose plant litter, suggesting that fungal community composition is an important determinant of decomposition rates. Variable-retention harvesting is a forestry practice that modifies fungal communities by providing refuge for ectomycorrhizal fungi. We evaluated the effects of variable retention and clear-cut harvesting on fungal communities decomposing fine roots at two sites (6 and 13 years postharvest), at two decay stages (43 days and 1 year), and in uncut stands in temperate rainforests. Harvesting impacts on fungal community composition were detected only after 6 years after harvest. We suggest that fungal community composition may be an important factor that reduces fine-root decomposition rates relative to those of above-ground plant litter, which has important consequences for forest carbon cycling.

scholarly journals Fungi exposed to chronic nitrogen enrichment are less able to decay leaf litter

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda T.A. van Diepen ◽  
Serita D. Frey ◽  
Elizabeth A. Landis ◽  
Eric W. Morrison ◽  
Anne Pringle
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rates ◽  
Common Garden ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Saprotrophic Fungi ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Litter Decay ◽  
N Enrichment

AbstractSaprotrophic fungi are the primary decomposers of plant litter in temperate forests, and their activity is critical for carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling. Simulated atmospheric N deposition is associated with reduced fungal biomass, shifts in fungal community structure, slowed litter decay, and soil C accumulation. Although rarely studied, N deposition may also result in novel selective pressures on fungi, affecting evolutionary trajectories. To directly test if long-term N enrichment reshapes fungal behaviors, we isolated decomposer fungi from a longterm (28 year) N addition experiment and used a common garden approach to compare growth rates and decay abilities of isolates from control and N amended plots. Both growth and decay were significantly altered by long-term exposure to N enrichment. Changes in growth rates were idiosyncratic, but litter decay by N isolates was generally lower compared to control isolates of the same species, a response not readily reversed when N isolates were grown in control (low N) environments. Changes in fungal behaviors accompany and perhaps drive previously observed N-induced shifts in fungal diversity, community composition, and litter decay dynamics.

Analysis of litter decomposition in an alpine tundra

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (7) ◽  
pp. 1295-1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M Bryant ◽  
Elisabeth A Holland ◽  
Timothy R Seastedt ◽  
Marilyn D Walker
Keyword(s):  
Mass Loss ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Decay Rates ◽  
Alpine Tundra ◽  
Litter Decay ◽  
Root Litter ◽  
Nitrogen Additions

Decomposition of plant litter regulates nutrient cycling and transfers of fixed carbon to soil organic matter pools in terrestrial ecosystems. Climate, as well as factors of intrinsic litter chemistry, often govern the rate of decomposition and thus the dynamics of these processes. Initial concentrations of nitrogen and recalcitrant carbon compounds in plant litter are good predictors of litter decomposition rates in many systems. The effect of exogenous nitrogen availability on decay rates, however, is not well defined. Microclimate factors vary widely within alpine tundra sites, potentially affecting litter decay rates at the local scale. A controlled factorial experiment was performed to assess the influence of landscape position and exogenous nitrogen additions on decomposition of surface foliage and buried root litter in an alpine tundra in the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, U.S.A. Litter bags were placed in three communities representing a gradient of soil moisture and temperature. Ammonium nitrate was applied once every 30 days at a rate of 20 g N·m-2 during the 3-month growing season. Data, as part of the Long-Term Inter-site Decomposition Experiment Team project, were analyzed to ascertain the effects of intrinsic nitrogen and carbon fraction chemistry on litter decay in alpine systems. Soil moisture was found to be the primary controlling factor in surface litter mass loss. Root litter did not show significant mass loss following first growing season. Nitrogen additions had no effect on nitrogen retention, or decomposition, of surface or buried root litter compared with controls. The acid-insoluble carbon fraction was a good predictor of mass loss in surface litters, showing a strong negative correlation. Curiously, N concentration appeared to retard root decomposition, although degrees of freedom limit the confidence of this observation. Given the slow rate of decay and N loss from root litter, root biomass appears to be a long-term reservoir for C and N in the alpine tundra.Key words: litter decomposition, alpine tundra, nitrogen deposition, LIDET, Niwot Ridge.

High K/Rb ratios in stream waters — Exploring plant litter decay, ground water and lithology as potential controlling mechanisms

2008 ◽  
Vol 257 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 92-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pasi Peltola ◽  
Christian Brun ◽  
Mats Åström ◽  
Olga Tomilina
Keyword(s):  
Ground Water ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
Litter Decay ◽  
High K ◽  
Stream Waters

Mammalian herbivory in post-fire chaparral impacts herbaceous composition but not N and C cycling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsey Hendricks-Franco ◽  
Scott L Stephens ◽  
Wayne P Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Plant Litter ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Mammalian Herbivores ◽  
C Cycling ◽  
Mammalian Herbivory ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Native Herbs

Abstract Aims Classical theory predicts that herbivores impact herb assemblages and soil nitrogen (N) cycling through selective plant consumption and the deposition of N-rich waste, with effects dependent upon ecosystem N availability. Herbivores are predicted to accelerate N cycling when N availability is high and decelerate cycling when availability is low. However, experimental tests of these theories in natural systems are limited and have yielded contradictory results. California’s widespread chaparral shrublands provide a tractable system in which to test these theories. They are prone to periodic crown-fire, which temporarily removes living shrub cover, deposits mineral N on soils, and allows diverse herbaceous assemblages to dominate the landscape for 3-5 years. Chaparral is also increasingly vulnerable to herbaceous invasion; mammalian herbivory may limit the establishment of non-native herbs in the shrub understory. Methods We implemented a two-year herbivore-exclosure experiment (Hopland, California) to assess the impact of mammalian herbivory during early post-fire chaparral succession, both on herbaceous plant assemblages and soil N and C cycling. We predicted that, in high-N post-fire conditions, mammalian herbivory would not demonstrate a strong preference for N-fixing herbs, would accelerate N cycling, and would reduce the abundance of non-native herbs. Important Findings Excluding mammalian herbivores increased herb standing biomass by 54%, but changed neither the relative abundance of N-fixing vs. non-N-fixing herbs nor any measure of N or C cycling. Herbivore impacts on nutrient cycling may not be significant over the two-year time scale of the experiment and physical effects of herbivore activity could have counteracted the influence of plant litter and animal dung/urine inputs. Mammalian herbivores concentrated their feeding on typical non-native herbs, slightly decreasing their relative abundance; however, mammalian herbivory was not sufficient to stem the invasion of chaparral by invasive herbs or alter C and N cycling over the first two years after fire.

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