Diversit y of fungi and potential function in naturally regenerating cut-over peatlands

Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK

Diversity of fungi and potential function in naturally regenerating cut-over

peatlands

Rebekka Artz, Stephen Chapman, Ian Anderson, and Colin Campbell

Fungal communities in peat

• Fungi are the primary degraders of plant necromass

• So far, investigations of fungi have focused on standing plant material or litter only

• Direct identification or cultivation used• Differences in bacterial and archaeal

composition of peat horizons shown using molecular techniques - how about fungi?

• Is fungal community composition an indicator of regeneration?

Site descriptor Location Time (y) since abandonment Vegetation

SC_A Middlemuir Moss, UK < 5 Bare peat

SC_B Middlemuir Moss, UK 5-10 Sphagnum fallax(> 95%)

SC_C Middlemuir Moss, UK 5-10 Eriophorum angustifolium (> 70%), E. vaginatum (5-10%), Sp. fallax (15-20%)

SC_D Middlemuir Moss, UK >50 Sphagnum spp. (e.g. palustre, capillifolium, fallax; >80%), Mollinia spp.; other mosses

FB_A Baupte peatland, France 5-10 Bare

FB_B Baupte peatland, France 5-10 Eriophorum vaginatum (10-20 %)

FR_A Russey, France 5-10 Bare peat

FR_B Russey, France 5-10 S. fallax, E. angustifolium, E. vaginatum (rare)

FR_C Russey, France >50 S. fallax, E. angustifolium, E. vaginatum, Calluna vulgaris

CH_A La Chaux d’Abel, Suisse 5-10 S. fallax (discontinuous), Polytrichum strictum, P. commune, E. vaginatum, Potentilla erecta

CH_B La Chaux d’Abel, Suisse Intermediate Intermediate

CH_C La Chaux d’Abel, Suisse >40 S. fallax (continuous), P. strictum, P. commune, E. vaginatum, Vaccinium spp.

FI_A Aitoneva, Finland 10 Eriophorum vaginatum, wet

FI_B Aitoneva, Finland 10 Eriophorum vaginatum, dry

FI_C Aitoneva, Finland 10 Carex rostrata, wet

FI_D Aitoneva, Finland 10 Sphagnum fallax (+others), wet

FI_E Aitoneva, Finland 10 Bare peat

FIFI

SCSC

FBFB

CHCHFRFR

2

3

4

6

8

Vascular plant litter (if present)

0 – 5 cm moss (if present) or peat

5 – 10 cm moss (if present) or peat

22.5 – 27.5 cm peat

42.5 – 47.5 cm peat

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_D31 SC_D32 SC_D33

OM decomposition in peat horizons

OH

WaxesLignins

CHOH

SC_D site: > 50 y regeneration

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_D41 SC_D42 SC_D43

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_D61 SC_D62 SC_D63

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_D81 SC_D82 SC_D83

OM decomposition in peat horizons

Site SC_B: 5-10 y regeneration, 2 cm of Sp. fallax and Eriophorum spp.

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_B31 SC_B32 SC_B33

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_B41 SC_B42 SC_B43

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_B61 SC_B62 SC_B63

0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

2.5

3.0

3.5

4.0

4.5

40080012001600200024002800320036004000

SC_B81 SC_B82 SC_B83

18 S 5.8 S 28 SITS1 ITS2

ITS1F & ITS4R

ITS1F+GC & ITS2R

Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis

DGGE of fungal ITS

DGGE gel patterns of fungal ITS fragments from SC_B

Formamide + urea

30 %

60 %

Cluster analysis on band patterns

Differences between peat horizons can be distinguished

Lower peat horizons

Upper peat horizons

M Undisturbed Milled

1 2 3 1 2 3

Cut-over peat surfaces have lower fungal diversity and generally different community structure

Significant differences between sites

Colonised with Sp. fallax, Eriophorum spp.; > 50 y

Colonised with Sp. fallax, Eriophorum spp.; 5-10 y

Undisturbed peat

Bare surface, 5-10 y

Older sites of regeneration have band patterns more similar to those of intact sites

Horizon 4

Conclusions

• Cut-over peat surfaces have lower and different fungal diversity to intact surfaces

• Peat horizons show significantly differing fungal communities, probably due to the nature of available carbon substrates

• Site-to-site differences

• Natural regeneration of peat shows fungal communities that become more similar to undisturbed peat over time – an indicator of regeneration?

Acknowledgements

• RECIPE: Reconciling commercial exploitation of peat with biodiversity of peatland ecosystems (www.macaulay.ac.uk\RECIPE)

• The many RECIPE partners in Finland, France, Switzerland and Germany