Substrate and spatial variables are major determinants of fungal community in karst caves in Southwest China

Abstract

Aim Previous studies primarily based on the culture method have revealed that caves host a high fungal diversity and that exogenous carbon sources influence fungal communities. Here, we assess the fungal diversity and distribution patterns in karst caves in Southwest China and reveal the major factors that shape the fungal communities. Location Southwest China. Methods Samples of air, rock, sediment and water were collected from eight caves in Southwest China. Using high‐throughput sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 region of fungal rDNA, we examined the cave fungal communities in Southwest China and studied their correlations with potentially influential factors, such as substrate, cave, location and environmental variables. Results Approximately 10,000 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) spanning 15 phyla were obtained. The highest diversity genus was Penicillium, while Mortierella had the highest relative abundance. Compared with air and rock samples, sediment and water samples harboured higher diversity and distinct communities. Substrate and cave were revealed to be the key determinants of the fungal communities in caves. Sample location and sampling distance from the entrance had more significant impacts on rock and sediment communities than on air and water assemblages. The fungal assemblages in air and water samples from the cave and outside cave environments were similar, while those of rock and sediment samples were significantly different. Main conclusions Our results indicate that sediment and water harboured higher fungal diversity than air and rock, and substrate and spatial variables are key determinants of fungal communities in caves.

Pacific Biosciences Single-molecule Real-time (SMRT) Sequencing Reveals High Diversity of Basal Fungal Lineages and Stochastic Processes Controlled Fungal Community Assembly in Mangrove Sediments

“…These observations suggest a similar biogeography of DT and RT fungi in mangrove sediments, which is consistent with previous studies of bacterial communities in coastal Antarctic lakes [98] and microeukaryotic communities in Tingjiang River [53]. In agreement with these observations on the effect of geographic location on fungal community, Zhang et al [9] reported a similar distribution of archaea and bacteria in mangrove sediments in China, indicating that microbial communities in mangrove sediments are strongly shaped by the geographical location, possibly because of the combined effects of climate, niche conservatism, and rates of dispersal, evolutionary radiation and extinction [94,99]. Depth is a known and important factor that strongly affects microbial communities in mangrove sediments [8,16,27].…”

Diversity, Distribution and Co-occurrence Patterns of Bacterial Communities in a Karst Cave System

“…The cave sampling strategy was described in our previous study (Zhang and Cai, 2019). In each cave, four to six sampling sites, interspersed at equal distances, were chosen along a transect.…”

“…Recently, samples of air, water, rock, and sediment were intensively collected from eight karst caves in southwest China. The study of their mycobiomes indicated that both sample types and spatial variables were the key determinants of fungal distributions (Zhang and Cai, 2019). In this report, we focus on the features of and factors shaping the bacterial community in those same eight caves.…”

Biogeography, Assembly Patterns, Driving Factors, and Interactions of Archaeal Community in Mangrove Sediments

“…In agreement with these observations, Zhang et al ( 13 ) reported a similar geographical distribution of the prokaryotic community in mangrove sediments, indicating a crucial role of geographical location in shaping archaeal communities in mangrove sediments. The pronounced effects of geographical location are possibly associated with the combined effects of climate, niche conservatism, and rates of dispersal, evolutionary radiation, and extinction in different environments ( 34 , 57 ). Although the always-rare taxon community did not cluster as well as the all-taxon, dominant taxon, and conditionally rare taxon communities, PERMANOVA supported significant differences between always-rare taxon communities among mangroves ( Fig.…”