community composition

Human Activity Impacts on Macrofungal Diversity: A Case Study of Grazing in Subtropical Forests

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When goats graze in forests, they change the environment through trampling, eating plants, and leaving droppings. This study found that goat grazing actually increased the variety of mushrooms and fungi in three types of subtropical forests in China over two years. However, while there were more types of fungi overall, the special fungi unique to specific regions became less common, suggesting grazing makes fungal communities more similar across different areas.

Fungal Assemblages in Northern Elms—Impacts of Host Identity and Health, Growth Environment, and Presence of Dutch Elm Disease

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This study examined the different fungi living in elm tree shoots to understand why some elm species are more resistant to Dutch elm disease than others. Researchers found that healthy elms host fewer fungal species compared to diseased trees, and that fungal communities differ significantly between elm species and urban versus rural locations. Importantly, a fungus called Sphaeropsis ulmicola appears to be a significant emerging threat to elms in northern Europe, separate from the classic Dutch elm disease pathogen.

Invasive plants decrease arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal diversity and promote generalist fungal partners

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When invasive plants take over ecosystems, they damage the underground fungal communities that native plants depend on. This study found that as invasive plants become more dominant, the diversity of helpful fungi decreases and is replaced by generalist fungi that can live with many plant types. This loss of fungal diversity weakens the overall ecosystem and makes it harder for native plants to thrive.

Diversity and Community Structure of Endophytic Fungi Isolated from the Brown Seaweed Sargassum thunbergii in Coastal Regions of Korea

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Researchers collected brown seaweed samples from six coastal regions in Korea and identified 84 different fungal species living inside the seaweed tissues. These endophytic fungi help protect the seaweed by producing defensive chemicals and improving its ability to withstand environmental stress. The study found that water temperature and oxygen levels in the seawater significantly influence which types of fungi are present in each region, with the Tongyeong region hosting the most diverse fungal community.

A tiny fraction of all species forms most of nature: Rarity as a sticky state

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In nature, whether you look at forests, oceans, or human gut bacteria, a surprising pattern emerges: just a few percent of species make up most of what we see. Scientists discovered this happens because being rare is like being stuck in a sticky spot—rare species stay rare due to the mathematics of population growth, not because they’re inferior. However, these rare species aren’t useless; they act as backup species that can take over if a dominant species crashes, keeping ecosystems stable during tough times.

What Quality Suffices for Nanopore Metabarcoding? Reconsidering Methodology and Ectomycorrhizae in Decaying Fagus sylvatica Bark as Case Study

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This study shows that Nanopore DNA sequencing can reliably identify fungi in decaying wood. Researchers developed guidelines for quality filtering of Nanopore data to ensure accurate identification of fungal species. They found that specific mycorrhizal fungi, particularly Laccaria amethystina and Tomentella sublilacina, colonize young beech trees growing on decaying logs and help them obtain nutrients.

Fungal Assemblages in Northern Elms—Impacts of Host Identity and Health, Growth Environment, and Presence of Dutch Elm Disease

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This study examined the fungi living in elm tree shoots to understand how different elm species, tree health, and location affect fungal communities. Researchers found that diseased elms had more diverse fungi than healthy ones, and that a fungus called Sphaeropsis ulmicola may be as damaging as the classic Dutch elm disease pathogen. Urban elm trees hosted more different types of fungi than rural ones, suggesting that city conditions influence which fungi can grow on elms.

Insights into the Mycosphere Fungal Community and Its Association with Nucleoside Accumulation in Ophiocordyceps sinensis

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Chinese cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) is a precious medicinal fungus found on the Tibetan Plateau that has anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor properties. Researchers studied the fungi living in soil around wild cordyceps and found that the types and amounts of these soil fungi are connected to how much medicinal compounds accumulate in the cordyceps. Samples from certain regions like Yushu had more diverse soil fungi and higher levels of beneficial compounds called nucleosides. This suggests that managing soil fungi could help improve the quality of cordyceps grown in cultivation.

Mycobiome of low maintenance iconic landscape plant boxwood under repeated treatments of contact and systemic fungicides

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This study examined how different fungicide treatments affect the beneficial and harmful fungi living on boxwood plants. Researchers found that repeated applications of chlorothalonil-based fungicides reduced many beneficial fungi while having minimal effect on harmful pathogens, and that fungi became less sensitive to the same fungicide over time. The findings suggest that choosing the right fungicide and application method is important for maintaining plant health and preventing fungicide resistance.

Mycelial communities associated with Ostrya carpinifolia, Quercus pubescens and Pinus nigra in a patchy Sub-Mediterranean Karst woodland

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This research studied how fungi living in soil connect to different tree roots in a rocky Mediterranean forest in Slovenia. Scientists found that different tree species have their own preferred fungal partners, though some fungi work with multiple trees. The fungi with longer connections through soil were more common under pine trees, while fungi with shorter reach were more common under oak and hornbeam trees.

Research Keyword: community composition