Fungal community composition as affected by litter chemistry and weather during four years of litter decomposition in rainshadow coastal Douglas-fir forests
Date
2022
Authors
Shay, Philip-Edouard
Winder, Richard S.
Constabel, C. Peter
Trofymow, J. A. (Tony)
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Fungi
Abstract
Climate and litter chemistry are major factors influencing litter decay, a process mediated
by microbes, such as fungi, nitrogen-fixing bacteria and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Increasing atmospheric
CO2 concentrations can decrease nitrogen (N) and increase condensed tannin (CT) content
in foliar litter, reducing litter quality and slowing decomposition. We hypothesized that reduced
litter quality inhibits microbes and is the mechanism causing decomposition to slow. Litterbags of
Douglas-fir needles and poplar leaves with a range of N (0.61–1.57%) and CT (2.1–29.1%) treatment
and natural acid unhydrolyzable residue (35.3–41.5%) concentrations were placed along climatic
gradients in mature Douglas-fir stands of coastal British Columbia rainshadow forests. The structure
(diversity, richness and evenness) and composition of microbial communities were analyzed using
DGGE profiles of 18S, NifH-universal and AmoA PCR amplicons in foliar litter after 7, 12, 24 and
43 months of decay. High CT and low N concentrations in leaf litter were associated with changes in
microbial community composition, especially fungi. Contrary to our hypothesis, high CT and low N
treatments did not inhibit microbial colonization or diversity. The joint effects of air temperature and
soil moisture on microbial community composition at our sites were more important than the effects
of initial litter chemistry.
Description
Keywords
carbon, climate change, proanthocyanidins, in situ decay, Pseudotsuga menziesii, Populus angustifolia
Citation
Shay, P., Winder, R., Constabel, C.P., & Trofymow, J. (2022). “Fungal community composition as affected by litter chemistry and weather during four years of litter decomposition in rainshadow coastal Douglas-fir forests.” Journal of Fungi, 8(7), 735. https://doi.org/10.3390/jof8070735