Microfungal composition in an Astelia - Donatia cushion peatland in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

N.I. PAREDES; V.F. CONSOLO; V.A. PANCOTTO; C. FRITZ; M.D. BARRERA; A.M. ARAMBARRI; G.L. SALERNO

DARWINIANA

INSTITUTO DE BOTÁNICA DARWINION

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2014 vol. 2 p. 112 - 124

0011-6793

Southern Hemisphere peatlands store substantial amounts of soil carbon. Despite their importance in the global carbon cycle, little is known about decomposition processes and the associated fungal diversity. The present study was carried out to describe the composition of fungal assemblage in two depths from a cushion peatland of predominating Astelia - Donatia species in Moat, Tierra del Fuego. From 48 samples processed, we obtained 338 isolates. Using different culturing methodologies, through direct and microscopic observation and using molecular methods we identified 38 fungal species and 18 genera comprising Ascomycetes and Zygomycetes. Ascomycetes were the most abundant group, being dominant genera Penicillium and Trichoderma. We described fungal composition and compared species diversity and evenness across two dephts. No significant differences between the diversity index and evenness were found. It was concluded that the studied peat is an ecosystem that has a great diversity of filamentous fungal species, some of which are described in other peatlands worldwide.