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Responses of Aquatic Fungal Communities on Leaf Litter to Temperature‐Change Events
Author(s) -
Fernandes Isabel,
Uzun Begüm,
Pascoal Cláudia,
Cássio Fernanda
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.200811163
Subject(s) - dominance (genetics) , plant litter , litter , spore , biology , fungal diversity , biomass (ecology) , streams , climate change , ecology , decomposition , botany , horticulture , ecosystem , computer network , biochemistry , gene , computer science
Increases of extreme weather events are predicted to occur with ongoing climate change, but impacts to freshwaters have rarely been examined. We assessed the effects of temperature on leaf‐litter associated fungi by exposing leaves colonized in a stream to 18 °C (control), 25 °C, or 18 °C after freezing. Treatments altered fungal dominance on leaves; Lunulospora curvula sporulation was stimulated by increased temperature and stopped by the freeze‐thaw treatment. Fungal biomass and diversity decreased at 18 °C after freezing, but not at 25 °C. Leaf decomposition was retarded by the freeze‐thaw treatment (k = –0.024 day –1 ) and stimulated at 25 °C (k = –0.069 day –1 ). Results suggest that occasional freezing may constrain fungal diversity and their ecological functions, while warming appears to accelerate plant‐litter decomposition in streams. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)