No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the authors.
Diversity of freshwater ascomycetes in the Western Ghats of India
Abstract
Plant detritus entering into the freshwaters fulfill up to 90% energy requirement of the aquatic food web. The lignicolous fungi mineralize such organic matter by their colonizing ability and potent extracellular enzymes. Western Ghats of India, one of the significant biodiversity hotspots, possess a network of freshwater bodies (streams, rivers, lakes, marshlands and reservoirs) in different altitudinal ranges receive substantial quantity of organic matter (leaf, woody and other litters) from the forest habitats. Freshwater ascomycetes are commonly occur on lignocellulosic debris and serve as potent nutritional sources for the aquatic fauna. From freshwater habitats, globally, thus far, up to 738 species of ascomycetes have been reported. Compared to the studies on freshwater hyphomycetes (5 decades), studies on ascomycetes in freshwater habitats of the Western Ghats are fairly recent (2 decades). Freshwater ascomycetes have been assessed from the Western Ghats region, mainly from the states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. The substrates evaluated include submerged woody litter, leaf litter and macrophytes. So far, about 100 species (50 genera) of freshwater ascomycetes have been reported from the Indian subcontinent, with a significant proportion of 53 species (31 genera) from the Western Ghats region. The current chapter documents occurrence, distribution and heterogeneity of ascomycetes on different substrates in the freshwater habitats of the Western Ghats region with emphasis on their future outlook.
Keywords: Lignicolous fungi, Distribution, Freshwater bodies, Organic matter, Decomposition, Food web
Around thirty percent of the world's population is already exposed to potentially life-threatening heat waves (HW) for a period of twenty days or plus yearly. The heat wave is not just intensifying, its spatiotemporal variability in the current climate crisis scenario is also persuading towards less warming-prone as well as the prominent warming regions. The present study is the discussion of seasonal variability in daytime heat waves (HW) over entire Indian states for 1991–2020 with the help of the NOAA Climate Prediction Center (CPC) global temperature dataset. The monthly variation of HW over India is observed, which clearly explains the more frequent occurrence of heat waves after the year 2000, especially during the months of March and July. However, the monthly HW distribution offers clarity on long-term events. March revealed an increasing trend of daytime HW in northern India, providing valuable insights into regional climate patterns.The month of July also evidences the rising rate of daytime HW, especially over the western and central parts of India. The seasonality index indicates that HW is rising during the months of March and June over the entire India as well. Understanding the HW seasonality of the entire Indian state will assist policymakers in designing regional-scale policies accordingly.
As their name indicates, freshwater fungi occur on submerged substrates in fresh water habitats. This review brings together the chemical diversity and biological activity of 199 of the 280 known freshwater fungal metabolites published from 1992 to 2020, representing at least seven structural classes, including polyketides, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, meroterpenoids, alka-loids, polypeptides, and monosaccharides. In addition to describing what they are, where they are found, and what they do, we also discuss strategies for the collection, isolation, and identification of fungi from freshwater habitats, with the goal of enhancing chemists' knowledge of several mycological principles. We anticipate that this review will provide a springboard for future natural products studies from this fascinating but underexplored group of Ascomycota.
This study outlines the pattern of colonization and co-occurrence of saprophytic fungi on woody litter of Avicennia officinalis tree species in
Nethravathi mangrove. Two types of woody litter (naturally and artificially submerged) during two seasons (monsoon and summer) were
assessed. Natural woody litter consists of 57 fungal species, while it was 34 species in submerged woody litter. Composition of fungi was a mosaic
of typical marine and terrestrial fungi. Higher number of fungi (teleomorphs, anamorphs and core-group species) was found in natural than
submerged wood, so also during monsoon than summer. Eight species (Aniptodera sp., Lignincola laevis, Lulworthia grandispora, Savoryella
lignicola, S. paucispora, Tricladium linderi, Tirispora sp. and Zalerion varia) were common to natural and submerged wood in both seasons. The
Shannon diversity was higher during monsoon than summer irrespective of type of wood assessed. The co-occurrence of fungi per wood was
maximum up to 8 and 11 species during monsoon in submerged and natural wood, respectively. The pattern of three fungal species cooccurrence
was also similar to overall colonization on woody litter. In both wood types, three species co-occurrence was the highest in both
seasons. Per cent co-occurrence of 20 core-group species showed dominance in natural than in submerged wood, so also during monsoon than
summer. Single species occurrence of core-group fungi on woody litter was as low as 0% (16 core-group fungi on either of wood or season) and
12% (Lignincola laevis). The core-group fungus L. laevis co-occurred up to a maximum of 72% during summer in natural wood which reveals its
compatibility and accommodating ability with other associated fungi. Overall, this study reveals that the colonization and co-occurrence of
fungi on woody litter in mangroves are dependent on the type of woody litter as well as the monitoring season.
Keywords: Diversity, mangrove fungi, species assemblage, species consortia, core-group fungi, monsoon, summer
Fungal taxonomy and ecology have been revolutionized by the application of molecular methods and both have increasing connections to genomics and functional biology. However, data streams from traditional specimen- and culture-based systematics are not yet fully integrated with those from metagenomic and metatranscriptomic studies, which limits understanding of the taxonomic diversity and metabolic properties of fungal communities. This article reviews current resources, needs, and opportunities for sequence-based classification and identification (SBCI) in fungi as well as related efforts in prokaryotes. To realize the full potential of fungal SBCI it will be necessary to make advances in multiple areas. Improvements in sequencing methods, including long-read and single-cell technologies, will empower fungal molecular ecologists to look beyond ITS and current shotgun metagenomics approaches. Data quality and accessibility will be enhanced by attention to data and metadata standards and rigorous enforcement of policies for deposition of data and workflows. Taxonomic communities will need to develop best practices for molecular characterization in their focal clades, while also contributing to globally useful datasets including ITS. Changes to nomenclatural rules are needed to enable valid publication of sequence-based taxon descriptions. Finally, cultural shifts are necessary to promote adoption of SBCI and to accord professional credit to individuals who contribute to community resources.
Aquatic fungi include those that occur in freshwater, marine, and brackish water habitats. In China, aquatic fungi have been investigated since 1920s. In this paper, we summarized the known data and provided a comprehensive list of aquatic fungi in China. To date, 969 species have been reported in China, including 782 and 213 species from freshwater and marine habitats, respectively, with 26 overlaps. The 782 freshwater species comprise 25 chytridiomycetes, 256 ascomycetes, 416 hyphomycetes, 63 oomycetes, and 22 zygomycetes. The 213 marine species comprise 117 ascomycetes, 48 hyphomycetes, 1 basidiomycete, 5 oomycetes, and 42 yeasts. Although the aquatic fungi in China are still poorly investigated, with most areas of the territory untouched, the number of recorded species is higher than most of the other countries in the world. The investigation of aquatic fungi in China is patchy as most species were reported from the southwest areas. There is little overlapped taxa found on different substrata, which implies that most aquatic fungi may have a substrate preference.
We mapped filamentous fungal association with mechanically “hard” and “soft” woody litter naturally
deposited in a stream of the Western Ghats of India. Using a durometer (rubber hardness tester), the toughness of surface of wood collected from stream was determined by considering durometer reading from 60–72 to 30–37 as hardwood and softwood, respectively. From each wood (1.5 cm diameter), two segments each of 3 cm length were
excised and vertically cut into nine sections comprising eight marginal and one central section. From three stream locations, hardwood and softwood sections were assessed for the occurrence of lignicolous and Ingoldian fungi. A first set of wood sections was incubated in damp chambers up to 4 months with periodical screening (every 2 weeks) for lignicolous fungi. Another set was incubated in bubble
chambers up to 72 h to ascertain colonization of Ingoldian fungi. In hardwood sections, 17 lignicolous fungi (ascomycetes, four; mitosporic fungi, 13; mean, 6.8; range, 6–8/section) and ten Ingoldian fungi (mean, 2; range, 0–4/section) comprising nine lignicolous (11.1–40.7%) and three Ingoldian (11.1–14.8%) fungi as core-group taxa were recovered. In softwood, ten lignicolous fungi (ascomycetes, 0; mitosporic fungi, ten; mean, 3.8; range, 2–5/section) and 26 Ingoldian fungi (mean, 8.1; range, 5–10/section) comprising six lignicolous (11.1–85.2%) and 12 Ingoldian (11.1–88.9%) fungi as core-group taxa were recovered. The ratio of lignicolous fungi/Ingoldian fungi was higher in hardwood than softwood (1.7 vs. 0.4). The spore output of Ingoldian fungi was higher in softwood (mean, 901 g−1; range, 80–2546 g−1) than hardwood (mean, 21 g−1; range, 0–140 g−1). The Shannon diversity of lignicolous fungi was higher in hardwood than softwood (3.604 vs. 2.665), whereas it was opposite for Ingoldian fungi (3.116 vs. 3.918). The overall fungal diversity was higher in softwood than hardwood (4.413 vs. 4.219). The range of Jaccard’s index of similarity among wood sections was higher in lignicolous fungi (8–71% and 13–75%) than Ingoldian fungi (0–50% and 8–55%) in hardwood and softwood. The rarefaction indices of expected number of
taxa against hardwood sections revealed higher and persistent lignicolous fungi than the Ingoldian fungi, while the Ingoldian fungi were persistent in softwood sections, although they were lower than lignicolous fungi. Our study demonstrated the dominance of lignicolous fungi and Ingoldian fungi in hardwood and softwood, respectively.
The diversity and distribution of fungi on naturally submerged wood from 12 high-altitude streams of the Western Ghats in
India were studied by damp chamber incubation and bubble chamber incubation. The damp chamber incubation of wood samples yielded
29 fungal taxa (17 anamorphs, 11 ascomycetes, 1 basidiomycete). Acrogenospora sphaerocephala, Canalisporium sp., Dictyosporium heptasporum, Leptosphaeria ginimia, L. typharum, Massarina australiensis, Sporoschisma saccardoi, and Sporoschismopsis australiensis were the most common taxa and were widely distributed on wood in streams of the Western Ghats. The bubble chamber incubation
of bark and cambium revealed 30 aquatic hyphomycetes (bark, 28; cambium, 18). Anguillospora longissima, Flagellospora curvula, F. penicillioides, and Lunulospora curvula were most common in bark as well as cambium. There was only 1 species (Helicomyces roseus) that was identified following both incubation methods, indicating that methodology influences the detection of fungal communities.
It is recommended that studies on freshwater fungi should incorporate both damp incubation and bubble chamber techniques.
KeywordsBark-Cambium-Diversity-Woody litter
Randomly sampled decaying mangrove woody litter
from ten mangroves along the west coast of India
were assessed for the assemblage, species richness and
diversity of filamentous fungi. Among 1067 wood
samples screened, 94% samples consist of sporulating
fungi. A total of 78 species belonging to 45 genera
comprising 46 ascomycetes, one basidiomycete and 31
deuteromycetes were recovered. Halocyphina villosa,
Lignincola laevis, Lulworthia grandispora, Periconia
prolifica, Savoryella paucispora, Verruculina enalia
and Zalerion maritimum were very frequent (>10%).
Except for H. villosa, the rest of the fungi were common
to all the mangrove locations. The mean number
of fungi per wood was 2.1 (range, 1.7–2.5), which is
similar or higher than those at several mangroves of
the Indian Ocean. Simpson and Shannon indices were
highest for the mangroves of Honnavar (Karnataka)
and Panaji (Goa) (0.971 and 5.087), which coincided
with the highest expected number of species (31–32)
among 140 random isolations in these mangroves.
Fungal assemblage, richness and diversity of the current
study have been compared with other mangroves
of the Indian coast and the Indian Ocean.
The diversity of marine fungi on intertidal wood collected from 13 locations in the west coast of India (beaches, islands and harbour locations) was assessed. Out of 3327 wood samples scanned, 72% possess sporulating marine fungi. Altogether 88 species belonging to 47 genera were encountered. Torpedospora radiata was the only fungus common to all locations. Five fungi were more frequent (> 10%): Antennospora quadricornuta, Clavatospora bulbosa, Crinigera maritima, Periconia prolifica and Torpedospora radiata. Twenty-four species were rare (0.04–0.5%); notable rare species were: Amylocarpus encephaloides, Arenariomyces majusculus, Calathella mangrovei, Carbosphaerella leptosphaerioides, Cirrenalia pseudomacrocephala, Crinigera maritima, Dryosphaera navigans, Dryosphaera tropicalis, Nimbospora bipolaris and Nimbospora effusa. Twenty-two species reported in the present study are new records for the Indian Peninsula. A. encephaloides was recorded from the tropical location, so also A. majusculus and C. pseudomacrocephala from the Indian Ocean. The species richness and diversity was highest in islands than in beaches and harbour locations. It has been predicted that islands adjacent to the west coast of India provide critical habitat for marine fungi.
Filamentous fungal assemblage and diversity on decaying intertidal woody litter collected from two under explored Indian mangroves, Thalassery (Kerala, west coast) and Bakkhali (West Bengal, east coast) were assessed. The woody litter sampled during November.2006. was incubated in moist chamber and observed once in every two weeks tbr up to five months. Forty-eight fungal species (32 ascomycetes and 16 mitosporic fungi) belonging to 34 genera were recovered and 11 species were common to botlr locations. Paired t-test revealed no significant difference in percent frequency of occurrence of fungi between the mangroves. Fungal richness, diversity and evenness were higher in Thalassery than Bakkhali. Rarefaction index also showed higher expected number of species out of 105 wood samples in Thalassery (47 species) than Bakkhali (39 species). Out of l3 core-group fungi recovered, tbur wele common to both locations utd Verrtr:Lrlirru cntiiu showed high frequency of occurrence (33-50%). Although this is one time study it has added l-5 species to the list ol mangrove fungi of indian Peninsula. The fungal occurrences in Thaiassery and Bakkhali mangroves have been compared with other mangroves of Kerala and West Bengal.
Key words: Diversity of filamentous fungi, Indian Peninsula, t-mangroves, woody litter
Fungal colonization and decomposition of submerged woody litter (Terminalia paniculata and
Anacardium occidentale) in relation to water and wood chemistry in the Kaiga stream and Kadra
Dam of the River Kali were investigated over 12 months. Fungal species richness, diversity and
asexual/sexual state ratio on woody litter were higher in the stream than the dam. Woody litter of
Terminalia supported a higher diversity of fungi as compared to Anacardium. Dominant
lignicolous fungi were Annulatascus velatispora, Diplocladiella scalaroides, Massarina
australiensis and an unidentified asexual fungus, while Lunulospora curvula and Triscelophorus
acuminatus were dominant among the Ingoldian fungi. The species richness of lignicolous fungi in
submerged woody litter is comparable to naturally deposited woody litter, while the Ingoldian fungi
were higher in naturally deposited than submerged woody litter. Organic carbon attained <10% in
12 months, while the nitrogen content was highest within 2 months, which coincided with fungal
richness peak. Although species richness of Ingoldian fungi was high within 2 months, the spore
output was highest during the 12th month, which coincided with low organic carbon and total
phenolics. Cellulase, xylanase and pectinase in woody litter showed two peaks (180 and 300 days)
after the peaks of fungal richness (60 and 240 days). The mass loss was higher in Terminalia as
compared to Anacardium and it was faster in the stream than in the dam. The remaining mass of
woody litter was positively correlated with organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, while
negatively correlated with enzyme production. The mass loss was associated with decreased
hardness of woody litter.
We studied patterns of fungal colonization, mass loss and biochemical changes during decomposition of the dominant mangrove sedge Cyperus malaccensis in a mangal located in southwestern India. Litter bags containing dried bracts, basal stem and top stem were introduced into a sedge sward in a mid-tidal zone for periods of up to 8 weeks (April–June 2005). After retrieval of sedge substrates and incubation in the laboratory, 19 fungi (10 anamorphs, 8 ascomycetes and one zygomycete) were found. Terrestrial fungi dominated over the first 2–3 weeks. Later, in spite of falling water temperatures and salinity, they were replaced by typical mangrove/marine ascomycetes and anamorphs. Up to 79% of bract mass loss occurred in 4 weeks; respective losses for basal stems and top stems were 88% and 51% through 8 weeks. The estimated durations of 50% mass loss (t
50) were 4.5, 10.9 and 22.9 days for bract, basal stem and top stem, respectively. Accordingly, there were significant differences in daily decay coefficients (k) among substrates. Organic carbon and phenolics decreased steadily in all substrates. Phosphorus concentrations decreased, attained a minimum and increased again, reaching final concentrations similar to initial values. Nitrogen concentration increased through the end of the experiment. Cellulase, xylanase and pectinase in all sedge substrates generally peaked within 4 weeks. This is the first study on decomposition of the macrophyte C. malaccensis.
Leaf and woody litter of two stations (discharge site and dam site) of the River Kali flowing adjacent to Kaiga nuclear power station of southwest India collected at bimonthly intervals up to one year were examined for aquatic hyphomycetes and lignicolous fungi. A total of 18 species of aquatic hyphomycetes was recovered from leaf litter by bubble chamber incubation with higher diversity in discharge site than dam site. At the discharge site, Triscelophorus acuminatus (26.6%), Tripospermum myrti (23.1%), Synnematorpora constricta (18.4%) and Triscelophorus monosporus (14.7%) were dominant. Lunulosproa curvula (71.2%) and Anguillospora longissima (12%) dominated at the dam site. Species richness and conidial output from leaf litter was high during postmonsoon than monsoon and summer. Woody litter yielded 40 species of lignicolous fungi with dominance of Trichocladium sp. at both stations (45.7-46.6%) followed by Halosarpheia heteroguttulata (3.9-10.3%). Species richness and proportion of isolations per wood were higher during postmonsoon than monsoon and summer. Bubble chamber incubation of leaf litter collected from upstream site at 24 C and 28 C yielded 15 species of aquatic hyphomycetes with 513-520 conidia/mg. Species richness (15 to 2) as well as conidial output (520 to 25/mg) were gradually decreased on further elevation of temperature (31-36 C) of bubble chambers and none of the species sporulated at 38 C. As elevation of water temperature, alkaline pH and low oxygen adversely affect aquatic fungi and their ecological functions, the effluent released at the discharge site should not alter the ambient conditions of the river water.
Keywords: Aquatic hyphomycetes, lignicolous fungi, leaf litter, woody litter, Kali River, temperature
In the present study, the dead part of mangrove wood attached to the plants at the lower-mid-littoral zones frequently inundated with seawater have been assessed for the assemblage of filamentous fungi.
Sudheep NM, Sridhar KR 2013 – Fungal colonization and decomposition of submerged woody litter in River Kali of the Western Ghats, India. Current Research in Environmental & Applied Mycology 3(1), 160–180, doi 10.5943/cream/3/1/3 Fungal colonization and decomposition of submerged woody litter (Terminalia paniculata and Anacardium occidentale) in relation to water and wood chemistry in the Kaiga stream and Kadra Dam of the River Kali were investigated over 12 months. Fungal species richness, diversity and asexual/sexual state ratio on woody litter were higher in the stream than the dam. Woody litter of Terminalia supported a higher diversity of fungi as compared to Anacardium. Dominant lignicolous fungi were Annulatascus velatispora, Diplocladiella scalaroides, Massarina australiensis and an unidentified asexual fungus, while Lunulospora curvula and Triscelophorus acuminatus were dominant among the Ingoldian fungi. The species richness of lignicolous fungi in submerged woody litter is comparable to naturally deposited woody litter, while the Ingoldian fungi were higher in naturally deposited than submerged woody litter. Organic carbon attained <10% in 12 months, while the nitrogen content was highest within 2 months, which coincided with fungal richness peak. Although species richness of Ingoldian fungi was high within 2 months, the spore output was highest during the 12 th month, which coincided with low organic carbon and total phenolics. Cellulase, xylanase and pectinase in woody litter showed two peaks (180 and 300 days) after the peaks of fungal richness (60 and 240 days). The mass loss was higher in Terminalia as compared to Anacardium and it was faster in the stream than in the dam. The remaining mass of woody litter was positively correlated with organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus, while negatively correlated with enzyme production. The mass loss was associated with decreased hardness of woody litter. Introduction Slow decomposing coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) especially the woody litter in lotic habitats constitutes the major
Three hundred and sixty woody litter samples naturally deposited in a stream and dammed section of the River Kali in southwest India were assessed for the diversity of lignicolous fungi (ascomycetes and anamorphic fungi) via damp chamber incubation and aquatic hyphomycetes (Ingoldian fungi) via bubble chamber incubation. Fifty-six fungal taxa were recorded with the highest of 47 taxa in the stream and 34 taxa in the dam. Twenty-five taxa were common to both
sites. The core group (≥10%) comprised one ascomycete (Massarina australiensis), two anamorphic taxa (Acrogenospora
sphaerocephala and Sporoschisma saccardoi) and 11 Ingoldian fungi (Anguillospora crassa, A. longissima, Clavariana
aquatica, Cylindrocarpon sp., Flagellospora curvula, F. penicillioides, Lunulospora curvula, L. cymbiformis, Lunulospora
sp., Triscelophorus acuminatus, T. monosporus). The species richness, average taxa per wood sample, richness of core group fungi and fungal diversity were higher in the Kaiga stream than in the Kadra dam. Species abundance curves showed higher frequency of occurrence of fungi in the stream than in the dam woody litter. The rarefaction indices of fungal species against number of wood samples revealed similar pattern of ascomycetes in both locations, while the richness of anamorphic and
Ingoldian taxa was higher in the stream than in the dam. The anamorph/teleomorph ratio ranged between 2.4:1 (Kadra dam) and 3.3:1 (Kaiga stream), which is higher than the ratios reported from other geographical locations (0.7:1−2:1). This study reconfirmed that the method of incubation influences the assessment of fungal communities in woody litter and that Ingoldian fungi also constitute an important component of woody litter.
A predictive model for daughter pregnancy rate (DPR) in Indian Murrah buffaloes has been developed. The data pertaining to first lactation reproduction traits, viz., age at first calving (AFC), first service period (FSP), and number of services per first conception (NS/FCON) of 719 Murrah buffaloes calved from 1985 to 2010 at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal (Haryana), India were adjusted against significant environmental influence. First lactation reproduction records of 474 Murrah buffaloes were used for determining voluntary waiting period (VWP) and estimating DPR. Seven simple and multiple regression models in each case were developed where the buffaloes had their first insemination after 63 days (DPR 63), 84 days (DPR 84), and 105 days (DPR 105) of first calving. Among the seven models (I to VII) for DPR 63, DPR 84, and DPR 105, model II, having only FSP as an independent reproduction variable, was found to be the best prediction model, based on the four statistical criterions (high coefficient of determination (R
2), low mean sum of squares due to error (MSSe), conceptual predictive (CP) value, and Bayesian information criterion (BIC)). Three linear equations were developed using model II, viz., DPR 63 = 0.0033 (274 − FSP), DPR 84 = 0.0027 (332 − FSP), and DPR 105 = 0.0027 (310 − FSP). The average errors for the prediction of DPR 63, DPR 84, and DPR 105 were 1, 13, and 8 %, respectively. Therefore, 63 days of VWP is the optimum period for getting the best DPR in Indian Murrah buffaloes.
This study provides the pattern of colonization and diversity of filamentous fungi on naturally deposited and deliberately introduced Rhizophora mucronata Lamk. wood during monsoon and summer in a mangrove of southwest India and compares overall occurrence with three species co-occurrence. The number of fungi ranged between 1 and 9 per naturally deposited wood and 1 and 8 per deliberately introduced wood. Out of 66 fungi recovered, naturally deposited wood showed higher fungi during monsoon (September, 2000) than summer (March, 2001) (48 vs. 24), so also among 40 fungi on wood showing co-occurrence of three fungi (21 vs. 18). Percent frequency of occurrence of fungi was not significantly different between wood types and seasons in overall occurrence and three species co-occurrence (P > 0.05). Among 17 core-group fungi (>10 %), Aigialus mangrovei, Cirrenalia pygmea, Lignincola laevis, Lulworthia grandispora, Passeriniella mangrovei, Trichocladium linderi, Tirispora sp., Zalerion inaritinniin and Z. variwn were highly dominant (>20 %). On wood showing co-occurrence of three fungi, A. mangrovei, Cirrenalia tropicalis, L. grandispora and T. linderi were highly dominant core-group fungi. Even though A. mangrovei, C. pygmea, C. tropicalis, Halosarpheia cincinnalula, L. grandispora, P. mangrovei, Verntcitlina enalia and Z. maritimum are typical marine or mangrove fungi, they were core-group fungi on deliberately introduced wood in monsoon season indicates their high colonization activity on wood even under low salinity. Several terrestrial mitosporic fungi (Alternaria, Arthrobotrys, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Phoma and Telracrium) were found particularly in monsoon season, but none of them belonged to core-group. Irrespective of wood types, overall fungal diversity and richness was highest in monsoon than in summer samples, while in wood showing co-occurrence of three fungi, it was high in naturally introduced wood of summer and deliberately introduced wood of monsoon. Issues related to core-group fungi, seasonal dominance, diversity and co-occurrence have been discussed.
This treatise presents the results of a preliminary floristic and ecological study of higher marine fungi (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and mitosporic fungi) of the Kerala coastal waters with emphasis on manglicolous marine fungi. Eighty species of marine fungi collected from different parts of coastal Kerala are fully described and detailed collection data are given for each species. Keys are provided for all the ascomycetes and mitosporic fungi collected. Ecological observations are given for each species treated and the ecological and floristic data obtained are discussed and compared to those from other geographical locations.
Fungal diversity on decaying intertidal wood of five mangrove plant species (Acanthus ilicifolius, Avicennia officinalis, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Rhizophora mucronata and Sonneratia caseolaris) accumulated on the floor of Udyavara mangrove stand of southwest coast of India was investigated. Wood samples collected during the monsoon and summer season were incubated in moist chambers and observed once every two weeks for up to six months. Ninety-one fungi belonging to 68 genera were recovered. Terrestrial fungi were dominant during the monsoon season, while marine fungi were dominant during the summer. Fungal richness and diversity were higher during the monsoon season than the summer. Rhizophora mucronata showed the highest Simpson's index at both seasons. The Shannon index was highest for Rhizophora mucronata in the monsoon season, while it was highest for Bruguiera gymnorrhiza during the summer. Rarefaction showed the highest expected number of species out of 150 identifications was from Rhizophora mucronata during the monsoon season (43 vs. 27-38 species), while it was highest in Sonneratia caseolaris during the summer (25 vs. 20-23 species). Maximum number of species per sample was observed on Bruguiera gymnorrhiza (monsoon, 2.9; summer, 3). Significant differences in the species diversity and expected number of species between the seasons were seen (t-test). Lignincola laevis, Savoryella lignicola and Trichocladium linderi were found in both seasons on all substrata. Lignincola laevis, Passeriniella mangrovei, Savoryella lignicola, S. paucispora, Trichocladium achrasporum and T. linderi were dominant during the monsoon season (>10%), while Cirrenalia pygmea, Lignincola laevis, Lulworthia grandispora, Nais sp., Savoryella lignicola and Zalerion varium were dominant during the summer. It is likely that terrestrial, freshwater and aero-aquatic fungi find ideal conditions for their development in mangroves during the monsoon season in the west coast of India.
Patterns of fungal colonization during in situ decomposition of woody substrata of two mangrove tree species (Avicennia officinalis L. and Rhizophora mucronata Lamk.) were studied in the Udyavara mangrove forest in the west coast of India. Wood pieces detached from the terrestrial parts of trees were packed in litter bags and introduced into the mangrove habitat at low tide. Samples were retrieved at different intervals for up to 18 months. They were scanned for fungi following incubation in the laboratory for up to 6 months on a sand bath with sterile mangrove water collected on each sampling date. Temperature, pH, oxygen, and salinity of water were assessed at each sampling date to relate to the colonization of fungi on wood. Forty-five species of fungi comprising 20 ascomycetes and 25 anamor phic taxa were recovered. Aigialus mangrovei Borse, Cirrenalia pygmea Kohlm., Cirrenalia tropicalis Kohlm., Lignin cola laevis Höhnk, Lulworthia sp., Savoryella paucispora (Crib et J.W. Cribb) J. Koch, Tirispora sp., Trichocladium achrasporum (Meyers et R.T. Moore) Dixon, and Verruculina enalia (Kohlm.) Kohlm. et Volkm.-Kohlm. were the core group (frequency of occurrence, ≥10%) Avicennia officinalis wood. Aigialus mangrovei, Ascosalsum cincin natulum (Shearer et J.L. Crane) J. Campb., J.L. Anderson et Shearer, Cirrenalia pygmea, Cirrenalia tropicalis, Lul worthia grandispora Meyers, Tirispora sp., and Verruculina enalia were the core group on R. mucronata wood. On both wood types, distinct peaks were seen in richness, diversity, and core-group fungi after 2, 10, and 14 months of immersion. Avicennia officinalis yielded a higher number of fungi in most of the samples than did R. mucronata. Within 2 months, typical marine fungi replaced the terrestrial fungi on the wood because of increased salinity. The number of fungi recorded in the month of August (monsoon season) was highest. Most of the additional fungi were terrestrial fungi that colonized the wood because of a decline in salinity. The pattern of fungal colonization with respect to early, late, and persistent colonizers was similar in both types of wood. Instead of differing in fungal species, the frequency of colonization of fungi differed on Avicennia officinalis and R. mucronata wood, which indicates substrate recurrence rather than specificity.Key words: colonization, diversity, filamentous fungi, mangroves, seasonal occurrence, woody litter.
There are more than 600 species of freshwater fungi with a greater number known from temperate, as compared to tropical, regions. Three main groups can be considered which include Ingoldian fungi, aquatic ascomycetes and non-Ingoldian hyphomycetes, chytrids and, oomycetes. The fungi occurring in lentic habitats mostly differ from those occurring in lotic habitats. Although there is no comprehensive work dealing with the biogeography of all groups of freshwater fungi, their distribution probably follows that of Ingoldian fungi, which are either cosmopolitan, restricted to pantemperate or pantropical regions, or in a few cases, have a restricted distribution. Freshwater fungi are thought to have evolved from terrestrial ancestors. Many species are clearly adapted to life in freshwater as their propagules have specialised aquatic dispersal abilities. Freshwater fungi are involved in the decay of wood and leafy material and also cause diseases of plants and animals. These areas are briefly reviewed. Gaps in our knowledge of freshwater fungi are discussed and areas in need of research are suggested.
Freshwater ascomycetes are important decomposers of dead woody and herbaceous debris in aquatic habitats. Despite evidence of their ecological importance, latitudinal, habitat and substrate distributional patterns of freshwater ascomycetes are poorly understood. In this study, we examined the latitudinal and habitat distributional patterns, and substrate recurrences of freshwater ascomycetes by collecting dead submerged woody and herbaceous debris in lentic and lotic habitats at five selected sites along
a north-central-south, temperate–subtropical latitudinal ecotone in Florida. One hundred and thirty-two fungal taxa were collected during the study. Seventy-four were meiosporic and 56 were mitosporic ascomycetes, while two species were basidiomycetes. Canonical analyses of principal coordinates (CAP) and Sørenson’s similarity index of species based on presence/absence data revealed a high turnover in species composition between the northern and southern sites, indicating a change in species composition along the temperate–subtropical latitudinal ecotone of the Florida Peninsula. Results from the ordination analysis indicated that freshwater ascomycete community composition is not significantly different between lentic and lotic habitats in Florida. The geographically broadly distributed species and species commonly found in Florida occurred in both habitats, whereas a number of new or rare species occurred in either lentic or lotic habitats, but not both. The same freshwater ascomycete species
did not necessarily occur on both woody and herbaceous debris; of the 132 taxa collected, 100 were reported only on woody debris; 14 species occurred exclusively on herbaceous debris; and 18 species were found on both woody and herbaceous debris in lentic or lotic habitats. Implications of data from this study to the conservation and knowledge of biodiversity for freshwater ascomycetes is discussed.
Assemblage and diversity of filamentous fungi on leaf and woody litter accumulated on the floor of two mangrove forests (Nethravathi and Udyavara) in the southwest coast of India have been studied. Leaf and woody litter collected during summer and monsoon seasons incubated in the laboratory (2, 8, 16 and 32 weeks) yielded 78 taxa belonging to 32 ascomycetes and 46 mitosporic fungi. Significant difference (ANOVA) was seen in the frequency of occurrence of fungal taxa in different incubation periods of leaf litter (P = 0.179 × 10 -5 to 0.24 × 10-5) and woody litter (P = 0.887 × 10-8 to 0.0326). The number of fungal taxa per leaf litter ranged from 1 to 5, while for woody litter it was 1 to 8. Mean number of fungal taxa per wood ranged between 2.5 and 3.6, which is higher than that in the mangroves of the Indian Ocean and South East Asia. Seven ascomycetes (Aniptodera chesapeakensis, Aniptodera sp., Arenariomyces parvulus, Lulworthia grandispora, Savoryella lignicola, Kallichroma tethys and Verruculina enalia) and seven anamorphic taxa (Arthrinium sp., Aspergillus sp. 1, Cirrenalia pygmea, Cirrenalia tropicalis, Penicillium sp., Periconia prolifica and Trichocladium alopallonellum) belonging to core-group fungi (frequency of occurrence, ≥ 10%) were identified. Woody litter collected during summer season showed highest fungal diversity than during monsoon. Rarefaction estimates of expected number of fungal taxa out of 150 isolates were higher in woody litter than leaf litter. Sporulation of terrestrial fungi, marine fungi and arenicolous fungi (sand-inhabiting) was successional on leaf and woody litter. Terrestrial fungi sporulated within eight weeks and declined thereafter, sporulating marine fungi were highest during 16 weeks, while arenicolous fungi attained a peak after 32 weeks of incubation. Substrate preference, succession, competition and techniques of study of mangrove filamentous fungi have been discussed.
Fungi are major decomposers in certain ecosystems and essential associates of many organisms. They provide enzymes and drugs and serve as experimental organisms. In 1991, a landmark paper estimated that there are 1.5 million fungi on the Earth. Because only 70000 fungi had been described at that time, the estimate has been the impetus to search for previously unknown fungi. Fungal habitats include soil, water, and organisms that may harbor large numbers of understudied fungi, estimated to outnumber plants by at least 6 to 1. More recent estimates based on high-throughput sequencing methods suggest that as many as 5.1 million fungal species exist.
Technological advances make it possible to apply molecular methods to develop a stable classification and to discover and identify fungal taxa.
Molecular methods have dramatically increased our knowledge of Fungi in less than 20 years, revealing a monophyletic kingdom and increased diversity among early-diverging lineages. Mycologists are making significant advances in species discovery, but many fungi remain to be discovered.
Fungi are essential to the survival of many groups of organisms with which they form associations. They also attract attention as predators of invertebrate animals, pathogens of potatoes and rice and humans and bats, killers of frogs and crayfish, producers of secondary metabolites to lower cholesterol, and subjects of prize-winning research. Molecular tools in use and under development can be used to discover the world's unknown fungi in less than 1000 years predicted at current new species acquisition rates.
A check list of marine fungi recorded from India is compiled on the basis of the present studies along the coast of Daman, Diu Island, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra and published literature. Distribution of 207 species of marine fungi (14 Labyrinthulomycota, 4 Chytridiomycota, 4 Oomycota, 139 Ascomycota, 3 Basidiomycota and 43 Mitosporic fungi) reported so far from marine habitats along various coastal states, Islands and Union territories of India. The 28 species of marine fungi are considered as doubtful records (26 Ascomycota and 2 Mitosporic fungus) are also listed. The record from West coast accounts for 167 sp. and there from East coast 152 sp., Andaman-Nicobar Islands 64 sp., and Lakshadweep Islands 57 sp. Four fungal species were isolated from deep sea sediments in the central Arabian Sea. This data will be useful in the compilation of marine biodiversity of India.
Freshwater ascomycetes are the predominant fungal colonizers of ligno-cellulosic substrates submerged in freshwater habitats. Although considered important decomposers and a food resource in freshwater food webs, little is known about the influence of environmental factors on their geographical distribution patterns, species richness and community structure. We undertook a study of the distribution of freshwater lignolytic ascomycetes in the Madre de Dios River basin in Peru along an elevational gradient from the headwater regions dominated by the Inambari and Araza Rivers to the lowlands of the Madre de Dios River. The gradient extended from 218 to 3870 m; collections were made at low (<300 m), medium (300–1000 m) and high (>1000 m) elevations. Three separate collecting trips were conducted during the dry seasons over 3 years. Samples of submerged woody debris were returned to the University of Illinois where they were incubated in moist chambers and examined for the presence of sexual and asexual reproductive structures, which were used for identification. GPS location, altitude, water temperature and pH were measured at the time of collection. A total of 2187 vouchered fungal collections representing 268 fungal taxa were collected. One hundred and fifty-nine taxa were collected at low elevations, 201 at middle elevations and 56 at high elevations. Only 33 of 268 taxa occurred at all three elevational ranges. Canonical analyses of principal coordinates and Sørensons Similarity Index of species based on presence/absence data revealed different structuring of freshwater fungal communities at low, middle, and high elevations, indicating a change in species composition along the Andes to Amazon elevation gradient. Mantel’s tests demonstrated that beta diversity is strongly impacted by both elevation and pH as rapid taxonomic turnover was associated with both these factors. Of 140 species found in their sexual reproductive state, only ten occurred at all three elevational ranges. The most commonly occurring species was Annulatascus velatisporus, a species with a worldwide distribution. Of 128 taxa found in their asexual reproductive state, 23 occurred at all three elevational ranges. The most commonly collected species was Candelabrum broccchiatum, also a species with a worldwide distribution. Most of the taxa reported from Peru have been reported previously from Asian and/or Australian freshwater tropical habitats. One hundred and three species are new records for South America and 137 species are new records for Peru. About 80 species found in Peru have a pan-tropical distribution. Whether these distribution patterns exist due to vicariance or geodispersal remains to be determined. This study indicates that the composition of fungal communities in mountainous areas is influenced by elevation and has implications for the effects of global warming.
The present paper deals with three species of Dictyosporium Corda viz. Dictyosporium elegans Corda, Dictyosporium cocophilum Bat and Dictyosporium tetraseriale Goh,Yanna and Hyde were collected from the submerged wood samples from the various water bodies in North Maharashtra region. Two species viz. Dictyosporium cocophilum Bat and Dictyosporium tetraseriale Goh,Yanna and Hyde are recorded for the first time form India. Brief notes and illustration are given for each taxon. Geographical distribution of each species in India is also provided.
An Overview of Fungal Systematics
Research on freshwater fungi has concentrated on their role in plant litter decomposition in streams. Higher fungi dominate over bacteria in terms of biomass, production and enzymatic substrate degradation. Microscopy-based studies suggest the prevalence of aquatic hyphomycetes, characterized by tetraradiate or sigmoid spores. Molecular studies have consistently demonstrated the presence of other fungal groups, whose contributions to decomposition are largely unknown. Molecular methods will allow quantification of these and other microorganisms. The ability of aquatic hyphomycetes to withstand or mitigate anthropogenic stresses is becoming increasingly important. Metal avoidance and tolerance in freshwater fungi implicate a sophisticated network of mechanisms involving external and intracellular detoxification. Examining adaptive responses under metal stress will unravel the dynamics of biochemical processes and their ecological consequences. Freshwater fungi can metabolize organic xenobiotics. For many such compounds, terrestrial fungal activity is characterized by cometabolic biotransformations involving initial attack by intracellular and extracellular oxidative enzymes, further metabolization of the primary oxidation products via conjugate formation and a considerable versatility as to the range of metabolized pollutants. The same capabilities occur in freshwater fungi. This suggests a largely ignored role of these organisms in attenuating pollutant loads in freshwaters and their potential use in environmental biotechnology.
Freshwater higher fungi from Ahmednagar district
- D S Borade
- P K Ahire
- P E Jagdale
- Borse
Borade, D.S., Ahire, P.K., Jagdale, P.E., & Borse (2016). Freshwater higher fungi from Ahmednagar district.
International Journal of Researches in Biosciences, Agriculture and Technology, 4.
Freshwater higher fungi from Maharashtra-II
- B D Borse
Borse, B.D. (2015). Freshwater higher fungi from Maharashtra-II. Ascomycetes. Weekly Science Research
Journal, 3.
Freshwater higher fungi from Ahmednagar district (M. S., India)-I: The genus Annulatascus
- B D Borse
- D S Borade
- S Y Patil
Borse, B.D., Borade, D.S., & Patil, S.Y. (2014). Freshwater higher fungi from Ahmednagar district (M. S.,
India)-I: The genus Annulatascus. Geobios.
Q28
Fresh water Ascomycetes from North Maharashtra-I
- Borse
Borse, B.D., & Pawara, C.M. (2007). Fresh water Ascomycetes from North Maharashtra-I. Bioinfolet, 4,
107-110.
Freshwater fungi and fungal-like organisms
- E B G Jones
- Yanna
- K D Hyde
- K.-L Pang
Jones, E.B.G., Yanna, Hyde, K.D., & Pang, K.-L. (2014). Freshwater fungi and fungal-like organisms.
Freshwater Ascomycetes from North Maharashtra—III
- Patil
Patil, S.Y. (2012). Freshwater Ascomycetes from North Maharashtra-III. International Multidisciplinary
Research Journal, 2.
Seasonal occurrence of water borne fungi in different streams of Uttar Kannada region, Karnataka state, India. KAVAKA-Transactions of the Mycological Society of India
- C Ramesh
Ramesh, C. (2002). Seasonal occurrence of water borne fungi in different streams of Uttar Kannada region,
Karnataka state, India. KAVAKA-Transactions of the Mycological Society of India, 30.
The freshwater ascomycetes
- Shearer
Shearer, C.A. (1993). The freshwater ascomycetes. Nova Hedwigia, 56, 1-33.
The distribution of freshwater filamentous ascomycetes
- C A Shearer
Shearer, C.A. (2001). The distribution of freshwater filamentous ascomycetes. (pp. 225-292). Science
Publishers.
Freshwater ascomycetes and their anamorphs
- C A Shearer
- H A Raja
Shearer, C.A., & Raja, H.A. (2021). Freshwater ascomycetes and their anamorphs.
Aquatic Ascomycetes from India. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia
- S T Tilak
- R L Kulkarni
Tilak, S.T., & Kulkarni, R.L. (1974). Aquatic Ascomycetes from India. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia, 47.
- B Borse
Borse, B. (2019a). Paoayensis aquatica sp. nov. (Ascomycetes) on submerged wood from the River Tapti,
Maharashtra, India. Studies in Fungi, 50-53. doi:10
Ascohyalinospora aquaticum gen. et sp. nov., a new freshwater ascomycete from submerged wood from Maharashtra
- B D Borse
- S Y Patil
- N S Pawar
Borse, B.D., Patil, S.Y., & Pawar, N.S. (2019). Ascohyalinospora aquaticum gen. et sp. nov., a new
freshwater ascomycete from submerged wood from Maharashtra, India. International Journal of Research and
Analytical Reviews, 6.
Freshwater higher fungi from Ahmednagar district
- Borade
Freshwater Higher Fungi from Ahmednagar district (M. S., India)-I: The genus Annulatascus
- Borse
Freshwater higher fungi from Maharashtra-II. Ascomycetes
- Borse
Ascohyalinospora aquaticum gen. et sp. nov., a new freshwater ascomycete from submerged wood from Maharashtra, India
- Borse