Environmental and Chemical Factors Determining the Structure of Leaf Litter Sporulating Conidial Fungi Communities in Two Preserved Areas of Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract

The Brazilian Northeast shelters fragments of the Atlantic Forest that, although historically under‐sampled, are home to a high diversity of organisms. In this context, conidial fungi are crucial for ecological balance, standing out for their role in the decomposition of organic matter and nutrient cycling. The present study aimed to investigate the diversity of conidial fungi in riparian forest leaf litter and evaluate the influence of abiotic factors and the chemical composition of litter in two conservation units of Brazilian Atlantic forest: Dois Irmãos State Park (PEDI, Pernambuco) and Guaribas Biological Reserve (REBIO, Paraíba) on the fungal community. The leaf litter was collected in three sampling events, and the conidial fungi were identified after incubation in moist chambers. A total of 84 taxa were identified, confirming the high species richeness; however, the prevalence of sporadic taxa signals the regional Wallacean shortfall. Although the overall ecological indices did not show a significant difference in richness, principal component analysis (PCA) revealed structural segregation in the composition of the communities (dissimilarity of 0.731). This environmental filtering is governed by contrasting chemical signatures: the dynamics of limiting macroelements (such as phosphorus) in PEDI and the selective pressure of micronutrients (copper, boron, and zinc) in REBIO.

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