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Leaf litter fungi in a Central Amazonian forest: the influence of rainfall, soil and topography on the distribution of fruiting bodies

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Abstract

Fungi are important components of tropical ecosystems, especially in the recycling of nutrients. However, there is little information on how fungal diversity is structured at scales suitable to plan their conservation. We tested if the distribution of fruiting bodies of litter fungi was random in the landscape (over 25 km2) in a tropical evergreen forest in Central Amazonia. We used linear regressions to evaluate the influence of rainfall, soil characteristics and topography on morphospecies richness and composition. Fungi were collected twice in thirty 0.25 × 250 m plots. Short-term rainfall was represented by the cumulative rainfall in the three days before each plot was surveyed. Plots were classified in two groups based on cumulative rainfall. Clay content in soil and rainfall influenced morphospecies richness, but responses to edaphic factors depended on rainfall. Wetter periods apparently decreased limiting moisture conditions in higher areas, allowing fungal activity and fruiting body production. Morphospecies composition was influenced by clay content, but influence on fungi was probably indirect as clay content was correlated with altitude, plant community and nitrogen availability. Our results suggest that the species of litter fungi are not randomly distributed in the landscape. Furthermore, they indicate that it is viable to conduct mesoscale evaluations of fungal diversity, if the temporal and spatial variation and their interaction are taken into account.

Resumo (in Portuguese)

Fungos são importantes componentes dos ecossistemas tropicais, atuando especialmente na reciclagem de nutrientes. Entretanto, existe pouca informação sobre como a diversidade de fungos está estruturada em escalas adequadas para planejar sua conservação. Nós testamos se a distribuição de corpos de frutificação de fungos de liteira ocorre de forma aleatória na paisagem (em 25 km2) em uma floresta na Amazônia Central. Utilizamos regressões lineares para avaliar a influência da precipitação, do solo e topografia sobre a riqueza e composição de morfoespécies. Os fungos foram amostrados em trinta parcelas de 0,25 × 250 m em duas ocasiões. A precipitação em curto prazo foi representada pela chuva acumulada em três dias antes da parcela ser amostrada. As parcelas foram classificadas em dois grupos baseados na precipitação acumulada. O conteúdo de argila no solo e a precipitação influenciaram a riqueza de morfoespécies, mas as respostas aos fatores edáficos dependeram da precipitação. Períodos mais chuvosos aparentemente diminuíram condições limitantes de umidade nas áreas mais elevadas, permitindo a atividade e produção de corpos de frutificação pelos fungos. A composição de morfoespécies foi influenciada pelo conteúdo de argila, mas provavelmente a influência sobre os fungos foi indireta, dado que o conteúdo de argila esteve correlacionado com altitude, comunidade de plantas e disponibilidade de nitrogênio. Nossos resultados sugerem que as espécies de fungos de liteira não estão distribuídas aleatoriamente na paisagem. Além disso, indicam que conduzir avaliações da diversidade de fungos em mesoescala é viável, desde que a variação temporal e espacial, e sua interação, sejam consideradas.

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Abbreviations

INPA (Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia):

the Portuguese acronym for National Institute of Amazonian Research

RFAD (Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke):

the Portuguese acronym for Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve

RAPELD:

Term coined by Magnusson et al. (2005) applied to their sampling methodology, useful both for rapid access to biodiversity and long-term research

PELD (Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração):

the Portuguese acronym for Long Term Ecological Research Program

PPBio (Programa de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade):

the Portuguese acronym for Biodiversity Research Program

COL1:

First collection occasion for all plots, from 29 June to 18 September 2005

COL2:

Second collection occasion for all plots, from 20 September to 22 January 2006

PCoA:

Principal Coordinates Analysis

MR:

Morphospecies richness, given by the total number of morphospecies collected

MC:

Morphospecies composition, based on the incidence of morphospecies in each plot

CPCRH (Coordenação de Pesquisas em Clima e Recursos Hídricos):

the Portuguese acronym for Climate and Water Resources Research Coordination

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Acknowledgements

Ricardo Braga-Neto acknowledges the support of a Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) graduate scholarship. Brazilian Long Term Ecological Research (PELD) guaranteed field support and equipment acquisition. The European Network for Research in Global Change (ENRICH) provided support during the preparation of this manuscript. Topographic and edaphic data were obtained from PELD and PPBio (Programa de Pesquisas em Biodiversidade). Eleusa Barros, Tânia Pimentel and Jane Mertens contributed to soil data acquisition. Rainfall data were obtained from CPCRH/INPA (Coordenação de Pesquisas em Clima e Recursos Hídricos). We thank Dennis Desjardin, Carla Puccinelli and Débora Drucker for their contributions; and D. Jean Lodge, Roberto Garibay Orijel and two anonymous reviewers for revising earlier versions of the manuscript.

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  1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em Ecologia, Avenida Efigênio Sales, 2239, Manaus, CP 478, CEP 69011–970, Brazil

    Ricardo Braga-Neto, Regina Celi Costa Luizão, William Ernest Magnusson, Gabriela Zuquim & Carolina Volkmer de Castilho

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  1. Ricardo Braga-Neto
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  2. Regina Celi Costa Luizão
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  3. William Ernest Magnusson
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  4. Gabriela Zuquim
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  5. Carolina Volkmer de Castilho
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Correspondence to Ricardo Braga-Neto.

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Braga-Neto, R., Luizão, R.C.C., Magnusson, W.E. et al. Leaf litter fungi in a Central Amazonian forest: the influence of rainfall, soil and topography on the distribution of fruiting bodies. Biodivers Conserv 17, 2701–2712 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-007-9247-6

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