Sheltering Role of Well-Decayed Conifer Logs for Forest Floor Fungi in Long-Term Polluted Boreal Forests.

ABSTRACT: Coarse woody debris (CWD) provides food and shelter to a large proportion of forest biota and is considered vital for biodiversity during periods of harsh weather. However, its importance in long-term stressed ecosystems remains largely unknown. In this work, we explored the contribution of CWD to fungal diversity along the gradient of boreal forest degradation caused by 77 years of heavy industrial emissions. We analyzed the diversity and composition of fungi in 270 samples of well-decayed Picea abies and Abies sibirica logs, as well as forest litter both adjacent to and distant from the logs. Compared with forest litter, the wood had higher water content and possessed substantially lower concentrations of heavy metals, which suggests its potential favorability for biota in

SUBMITTER: Mikryukov VS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8527098 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature