Fungal Community Shift Along Steep Environmental Gradients from Geothermal Soils in Yellowstone National Park

• Published in: Microbial ecology Vol. 84; no. 1; pp. 33 - 43
• Main Authors: Bazzicalupo, Anna L., Erlandson, Sonya, Branine, Margaret, Ratz, Megan, Ruffing, Lauren, Nguyen, Nhu H., Branco, Sara
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-07-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Coastal inlets; Components; Ecology; Ectomycorrhizas; Environmental factors; Environmental gradient; Fungal Microbiology; Fungi; Geoecology/Natural Processes; Gradients; Guilds; Hot springs; Life Sciences; Microbial Ecology; Microbiology; National parks; Nature Conservation; pH effects; Soil; Soil microorganisms; Soils; Tolerances; Tolerances (dimensional); Water Quality/Water Pollution; Hot spring; Soil; pH; Saprobe; Geothermal activity; Mycorrhizal
• ISSN: 0095-3628; 1432-184X
• DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01848-y

Geothermal soils offer unique insight into the way extreme environmental factors shape communities of organisms. However, little is known about the fungi growing in these environments and in particular how localized steep abiotic gradients affect fungal diversity. We used metabarcoding to characterize soil fungi surrounding a hot spring-fed thermal creek with water up to 84 °C and pH 10 in Yellowstone National Park. We found a significant association between fungal communities and soil variable principal components, and we identify the key trends in co-varying soil variables that explain the variation in fungal community. Saprotrophic and ectomycorrhizal fungi community profiles followed, and were significantly associated with, different soil variable principal components, highlighting potential differences in the factors that structure these different fungal trophic guilds. In addition, in vitro growth experiments in four target fungal species revealed a wide range of tolerances to pH levels but not to heat. Overall, our results documenting turnover in fungal species within a few hundred meters suggest many co-varying environmental factors structure the diverse fungal communities found in the soils of Yellowstone National Park.