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The Role of Early Fungal Colonizers in Leaf‐Litter Decomposition in Portuguese Streams Impacted by Agricultural Runoff
Author(s) -
Sridhar K. R.,
Duarte Sofia,
Cássio Fernanda,
Pascoal Cláudia
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
international review of hydrobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1522-2632
pISSN - 1434-2944
DOI - 10.1002/iroh.200811154
Subject(s) - streams , nutrient , biology , dominance (genetics) , plant litter , litter , surface runoff , agriculture , perennial stream , ordination , ecology , botany , computer network , biochemistry , gene , computer science
We conducted a transplant experiment between two streams in NW Portugal impacted by agricultural runoff, mainly differing in phosphate concentration, to determine whether fungi on decomposing leaves would adapt to the new environment or would be replaced by fungi of the recipient stream. The most nutrient enriched stream had lower fungal diversity but faster leaf decomposition. Leaf transplantation did not alter fungal activity or species dominance. Multidimensional scaling ordination of fungal communities, from DNA fingerprint or conidial production, revealed that transplanted communities resembled more those of the original stream than the recipient stream. Results suggest that early fungal colonizers will determine the development and activity of fungal communities on decomposing leaves in streams impacted by agricultural practices. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)