Succession of Fungal Communities and Their Functional Profiles in a Decaying Foundation Species

Plumage microorganism communities of tidal marsh sparrows

“… 52 , 53 Fungal taxa that varied among groups were frequently plant-associated endophytes, some of which – including Phaeosphaeria halima, taxa within the genera Papiliotrema and Dioszegia , and taxa within the family Neodevriesiaceae – have previously been found to cycle in abundance with the decay of saltmarsh vegetation. 54 The association of many of these organisms with marine environments and vegetation indicates that their fluctuation amongst groups of feather samples is likely reflective of their abundance in the surrounding environment. The bacterial genus Enterococcus and the fungal genera Alternaria and Cladosporium contain keratinolytic taxa, 25 , 49 indicating that exposure of tidal marsh sparrows to potentially antagonistic microorganisms may shift with environmental conditions.…”