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 importancein the global carbon cycle, little is known about decomposition processes and the associated fungal diversity.The present study describes the composition of fungal assemblage in two depths from a cushionpeatland of predominating Astelia (Asteliaceae) and Donatia (Donatiaceae) species in Moat, Tierra delFuego. From 48 samples processed, we obtained 338 isolates. Using different culturing methodologies,through direct and microscopic observation and using molecular methods we identified 38 fungalspecies and 18 genera of Ascomycetes and Zygomycetes. Isolates belonging to Ascomycetes were themost abundant, with dominance of Penicillium and Trichoderma. We described fungal composition andcompared species diversity and evenness across two dephts. No differences in the diversity index andevenness were found between depths. The studied peat is an ecosystem that has a great diversity of filamentousfungal species, some of which are described in other peatlands worldwide.