Patterns of fungal diversity in New Zealand Nothofagus forests

• Published in: Fungal biology 2012-03, Vol.116 (3), p.401-412
• Main Authors: Johnston, Peter R., Johansen, Renee B., Williams, Alexandra F.R., Paula Wikie, J., Park, Duckchul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biodiversity; community structure; Culturing; data collection; DNA, Fungal - chemistry; DNA, Fungal - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal Spacer - genetics; Endophytes; Endophytes - classification; Endophytes - genetics; Endophytes - isolation & purification; Ferns - microbiology; forests; fungal communities; fungi; Fungi - classification; Fungi - genetics; Fungi - isolation & purification; internal transcribed spacers; ITS sequences; mixed stands; Molecular Sequence Data; New Zealand; Nothofagus; Nothofagus fusca; Nothofagus menziesii; Nothofagus solandri; NZFungi database; Phylogeny; Plant Leaves - microbiology; Podocarpaceae; Sequence Analysis, DNA; species diversity; Trees
• ISSN: 1878-6146; 1878-6162
• DOI: 10.1016/j.funbio.2011.12.010

The development of protocols for the conservation of fungi requires knowledge of the factors controlling their distribution, diversity, and community composition. Here we compare patterns of variation in fungal communities across New Zealand's Nothofagus forests, reportedly the most myco-diverse in New Zealand and hence potentially key to effective conservation of fungi in New Zealand. Diversity of leaf endophytic fungi, as assessed by culturing on agar plates, is assessed for three Nothofagus sp. growing in mixed stands from four sites. Host species was found to have a greater influence on fungal community assemblage than site. The leaf endophyte communities associated with Nothofagus solandri and Nothofagus fusca (both Nothofagus subgenus Fuscopora), were more similar to each other than either were to the community associated with Nothofagus menziesii (Nothofagus subgenus Lophozonia). The broad taxonomic groups isolated, identified on the basis of internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences, were similar to those found in similar studies from other parts of the world, and from an earlier study on the endophyte diversity in four podocarp species from New Zealand, but there were few matches at species level. Average levels of endophyte species diversity associated with single Nothofagus species and single podocarp species were similar, despite historical literature and collection data recording more than twice as many fungal species on average from the Nothofagus species. The significance of these findings to fungal conservation is discussed. ► Impact of host species and site on fungal diversity is assessed in Nothofagus forests. ► Targeting culturable leaf endophytes is effective, delivering statistically robust results. ► Host species has a greater influence on fungal diversity than site. ► Earlier unstructured data sets overestimated relative levels of diversity in these forests.