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Fungal Communities Including Plant Pathogens in Near Surface Air Are Similar Across Northwestern Europe

Summary

This research examined airborne fungal communities across Northwestern Europe, revealing that fungal spores in the air are remarkably similar across large distances. The study has important implications for understanding how plant diseases spread through the air. Impacts on everyday life: • Helps farmers and gardeners better predict and manage plant diseases • Improves understanding of seasonal allergies caused by airborne fungi • Contributes to better air quality monitoring systems • Aids in developing more effective crop disease warning systems • Helps understand how climate affects the spread of plant diseases

Background

Aerial dispersal of fungal spores affects plant pathogen epidemiology, with long-distance dispersal enabling invasion into new areas and spread of aggressive pathogen races globally. While air dispersal patterns of specific pathogens have been studied, the overall diversity and composition of airborne fungal communities is understudied, particularly regarding plant pathogens.

Objective

To analyze the diversity and composition of fungal communities in air samples taken from three locations across Northwestern Europe, with focus on detecting plant pathogens. The study aimed to determine if location, season and sampling height affected fungal community composition.

Results

Location had minimal effect on fungal communities, explaining only 8% of variation, despite sites being up to 900km apart. Season had a stronger influence, explaining 24.6% of community variation. Autumn samples showed highest species richness. Field samples had lower diversity than rooftop samples. Major plant pathogens like Blumeria, Sclerotiniaceae, and Puccinia showed similar abundance patterns across locations. The most abundant fungi were Ascomycota (53.4%) and Basidiomycota (39.6%).

Conclusion

Fungal communities in air were remarkably similar across Northwestern Europe, likely due to similar climates and land use. Season had a stronger effect than location on community composition. Rooftop sampling provided better representation of regional fungal diversity compared to field-level sampling. The study demonstrated the potential of metabarcoding for monitoring airborne plant pathogens across large geographical areas.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Microbiology,
  • Study Type:Environmental Survey,
  • Source: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.01729
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