European mushroom assemblages are darker in cold climates

• Published in: Nature communications 2019-06, Vol.10 (1), p.2890-11, Article 2890
• Main Authors: Krah, Franz-Sebastian, Büntgen, Ulf, Schaefer, Hanno, Müller, Jörg, Andrew, Carrie, Boddy, Lynne, Diez, Jeffrey, Egli, Simon, Freckleton, Robert, Gange, Alan C., Halvorsen, Rune, Heegaard, Einar, Heideroth, Antje, Heibl, Christoph, Heilmann-Clausen, Jacob, Høiland, Klaus, Kar, Ritwika, Kauserud, Håvard, Kirk, Paul M., Kuyper, Thomas W., Krisai-Greilhuber, Irmgard, Norden, Jenni, Papastefanou, Phillip, Senn-Irlet, Beatrice, Bässler, Claus
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 631/158/851; 631/158/857; 631/326/193/2539; 631/326/193/2540; Agaricales - physiology; Bodembiologie; Bodembiologie en biologische bodemkwaliteit; Carbon cycle; Chair Soil Biology and Biological Soil Quality; Climate; Climate Change; Cold Climate; Cold weather; Color; Coloration; Ecological effects; Ecosystem; Ecosystems; Europe; Fungi; Geographical distribution; Global warming; Humanities and Social Sciences; Leerstoelgroep Bodembiologie en biologische Bodemkwaliteit; Low temperature; Melanism; multidisciplinary; Mushrooms; Nutrient cycles; PE&RC; Phenotypes; Pigmentation - physiology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seasonal variations; Soil Biology; Soil Biology and Biological Soil Quality; Terrestrial environments; Thermal environments
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-10767-z

Thermal melanism theory states that dark-colored ectotherm organisms are at an advantage at low temperature due to increased warming. This theory is generally supported for ectotherm animals, however, the function of colors in the fungal kingdom is largely unknown. Here, we test whether the color lightness of mushroom assemblages is related to climate using a dataset of 3.2 million observations of 3,054 species across Europe. Consistent with the thermal melanism theory, mushroom assemblages are significantly darker in areas with cold climates. We further show differences in color phenotype between fungal lifestyles and a lifestyle differentiated response to seasonality. These results indicate a more complex ecological role of mushroom colors and suggest functions beyond thermal adaption. Because fungi play a crucial role in terrestrial carbon and nutrient cycles, understanding the links between the thermal environment, functional coloration and species’ geographical distributions will be critical in predicting ecosystem responses to global warming. The functions of color in fungi are not well characterized. Here, Krah and colleagues investigate the color of mushroom assemblages across Europe and show relationships with climate, nutritional mode (saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal) and seasonality.