Seasonal Turnover and Functional Structure of the Foliar Mycobiota in a Gondwanan Temperate Forest Keystone Tree.

ABSTRACT: Fungal communities inhabiting leaves are key players in ecosystem processes but remain largely unexplored in Southern Hemisphere temperate forests. We characterized the foliar mycobiota of Nothofagus pumilio, a dominant deciduous tree in Patagonian forests, using ITS1 metabarcoding across seasons and tree health conditions. We detected 426 fungal taxa, including a 40-Amplicon Sequence Variant (ASV) core mycobiome persisting year-round. Fungal richness and biomass increased significantly in autumn, coinciding with leaf senescence, and community composition shifted markedly between seasons. Spring leaves were enriched in pathogens and basidiomycetous yeasts, while autumn leaves hosted more saprotrophs, ascomycetous yeasts, and lichen-associated fungi. Tree health had limited influence

SUBMITTER: Molina L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12653127 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature