Abstract
Biodiversity indices are frequently used to provide a numerical value of the diversity of species within an ecological community. To study fungal biodiversity in the air, a 7-day recording Hirst-type spore trap was used. The daily concentration of 124 taxa was recorded in an Italian vineyard. The predominant fungi were: Cladosporium spp., unknown 3-septate fusiform spore, and Alternaria spp. Shannon’s and Simpson’s biodiversity indices and evenness were calculated first for air spora. Meteorological circumstances affected the biodiversity; positive correlations were found between Simpson’s biodiversity index and precipitation, but no significant correlations were found with Shannon’s diversity index and evenness. To predict Simpson’s index for airborne fungi, regression analysis was performed. It was shown that the best estimator, sun hours, negatively affected the index. The biodiversity of the dominant species was low on dry days, since Cladosporium alone had much higher abundance on such days than other species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Airaudi, D., & Marchisio, V. F. (1996). Fungal biodiversity in the air of Turin. Mycopathologia, 136, 95–102. doi:10.1007/BF00437502.
Bavbek, S., Erkekol, F. O., Ceter, T., Mungan, D., Ozer, F., Pinar, M., et al. (2006). Senzitization to Alternaria and Cladosporium in patients with respiratory allergy and outdoor counts of mold spores in Ankara atmosphere, Turkey. The Journal of Asthma, 43, 421–426. doi:10.1080/02770900600710706.
Bousquet, P. J., Chinn, S., Janson, C., Kogevinas, M., Burney, P., & Jarvis, D. (2007). Geographical variation in the prevalence of positive skin tests to environmental aeroallergens in the European community respiratory health survey. Allergy, 62, 301–309. doi:10.1111/j.1398-9995.2006.01293.x.
Bustos Delgado, I., Angulo Romero, J., Dominguez Vilches, E., & Galan Soldevilla, C. (2008). Preliminary survey of fungal spore biodiversity in the nature reserve of “Sierra de Hornachuelos” in Andalucia (Spain). Aspects of Applied Biology 89, 59–60.
Corbaz, R. (1972). Etudes des spores fongiques captées dans l’air I. Dans un vignoble. Phytopathologische Zeitschrift, 74, 318–328. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0434.1972.tb02587.x.
Diaz, M. R., Iglesias, I., & Jato, M. V. (1998). Seasonal variation of airborne fungal spore concentrations in a vineyard of North–West Spain. Aerobiologia, 14, 221–227. doi:10.1007/BF02694210.
Dighton, J. (1998). Analysis of micromycete communities in soil: A critique of methods. Mycological Research, 7, 796–798.
Farr, D. F., & Rossman, A. Y. (2008). Fungal Databases. Systematic Mycology and Microbiology Laboratory, ARS, USDA. http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/.
Gioulekas, D., Damialis, A., Papakosta, D., Spieksma, F., Giouleka, P., & Patakas, D. (2004). Allergenic fungi spore records (15 years) and sensitization in patients with respiratory allergy in Thessaloniki-Greece. Journal of Investigational Allergology and Clinical Immunology, 14, 225–231.
Gönczöl, J., & Révay, Á. (2004). Fungal spores in rainwater: stemflow, throughfall and gutter conidial assemblages. Fungal Diversity, 16, 67–86.
Gonianakis, M. I., Neonakis, I. K., Gonianakis, I. M., Baritaki, M. A., Bouros, D., Potamias, G., et al. (2006). Mold allergy in the Mediterranean island Crete, Greece: A 10-year volumetric, aerobiological study with dermal sensitization correlations. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, 27, 354–362. doi:10.2500/aap.2006.27.2918.
Hirst, J. M. (1952). An automatic volumetric spore trap. The Annals of Applied Biology, 39, 257–265. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7348.1952.tb00904.x.
Járai-Komlódi, M., & Tóth, S. (1993). Studies of rare airborne fungal spores and conidia in Hungary. Acta Botanica Hungarica, 38, 383–399.
Jones, A. M., & Harrison, R. M. (2004). The effects of meteorological factors on atmospheric bioaerosol concentrations—a review. The Science of the Total Environment, 326, 151–180. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2003.11.021.
Kendrick, B. (1990). Fungal allergens. In E. G. Smith (Ed.), Sampling and identifying allergenic pollens and moulds (pp. 134–164). San Antonio: Blewstone Press.
Kurup, V., Shen, H., & Banerjee, B. (2000). Respiratory fungal allergy. Microbes and infection, 2, 1101–1110. doi:10.1016/S1286-4579(00)01264-8.
Lacey, M., & West, J. (2006). The air spora. Dordrecht: Springer.
Magurran, A. E. (1988). Ecological diversity and its measurement. New South Wales: Croom Helm.
Magyar, D. (2007). Aeromycological aspects of mycotechnology. In M. K. Rai (Ed.), Mycotechnology: Current trends and future prospects (pp. 226–263). New Delhi: I.K. International Publishing House.
Magyar, D. (2008). The tree bark: A natural spore trap. Aspects of Applied Biology 89, 7–16.
Magyar, D., Gönczöl, J., Révay, Á., Grillenzoni, F., & Seijo-Coello, M. D. C. (2005). Stauro- and scolecoconidia in floral and honeydew honeys. Fungal Diversity, 20, 103–120.
Patil, G. P., & Taillie, C. (1979). An overview of diversity. In J. F. Grassle, G. P. Patil, W. Smith, & C. Taillie (Eds.), Ecological diversity in theory and practice (pp. 3–27). Maryland: International Publishing House.
Pérez-Atanes, S., Seijo-Coello, M. D. C., & Méndez-Álvarez, J. (2001). Contribution to the study of fungal spores in honeys of Galicia (NW Spain). Grana, 40, 217–222. doi:10.1080/001731301317223240.
Picco, A. M. (1992). Presence in the atmosphere of vine and tomato pathogens. Aerobiologia, 8, 459–463. doi:10.1007/BF02272916.
Pyrri, I., & Kapsanaki-Gotsi, E. (2007). A comparative study on the airborne fungi in Athens, Greece, by viable and non-viable sampling methods. Aerobiologia, 23, 3–15. doi:10.1007/s10453-006-9039-6.
Shapiro, S. S., Wilk, M. B., & Chen, H. J. (1968). Comparative study of various tests for normality. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 63, 1343–1372. doi:10.2307/2285889.
Shoemaker, R. A., LeClair, P. M., & Smith, J. D. (1974). Some parasites of Bromus inermis and airborne spores trapped over brome grass crops. Canadian Journal of Botany, 52, 2415–2421. doi:10.1139/b74-313.
Tilak, S. T., & Pande, B. N. (2005). Current trends in aeromycological research. In M. K. Rai & S. K. Deshmukh (Eds.), Fungi: Diversity and biotechnology (pp. 281–510). Jogpur: Scientific Publishers.
Troutt, C., & Levetin, E. (2001). Correlation of spring spore concentrations and meteorological conditions in Tulsa, Oklahoma. International Journal of Biometeorology, 45, 64–74. doi:10.1007/s004840100087.
Wilken-Jensen, K., & Gravesen, J. (1984). Atlas of moulds in Europe causing respiratory allergy. Copenhagen: ASK Publishing, Foundation for Allergy Research in Europe.
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Maureen Lacey (Rothamsted, UK), Sándor Tóth (Szt. Isván University, Hungary) and Kálmán Vánky (Herbarium Ustilaginales Vánky, Germany) for their precious help in the identification of spores. The first author wish to acknowledge the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA, grant n. F67908) for financial support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Magyar, D., Frenguelli, G., Bricchi, E. et al. The biodiversity of air spora in an Italian vineyard. Aerobiologia 25, 99–109 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-009-9115-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10453-009-9115-9