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Fungi in the Hyporheic Zone of a Springbrook

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Abstract

Eight bimonthly sediment core samples (n = 6) were collected, to a depth of 64 cm, from the hyporheic zone of a springbrook in southern Ontario, Canada. Sediment cores were divided into three to four sections, and organic matter was subdivided into six different categories. Twigs were the most common substrate, followed by roots, cedar leaves, wood, grass, and deciduous leaves. The contributions of deciduous and cedar leaves declined with depth, whereas that of wood increased. On each sampling date and from each section, three randomly chosen substrates >3 cm were examined for conidia of aquatic hyphomycetes. The number of identified species significantly decreased with depth, and was highest on deciduous leaves and lowest on wood. Season had no significant effect on species numbers. DNA from substrates was extracted, amplified with fungal primers, and differentiated into phylotypes with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Absence/presence patterns of phylotype were significantly affected by season but not by section level. Both season and section level significantly affected relative densities of the bands of the 10 most common phylotypes. Our data suggest that aquatic hyphomycetes and other fungi readily disperse within the hyporheic zone, and that their relative scarcity in this habitat is due to a lack of suitable substrates.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (F. Bärlocher and D. D. Williams), and through a Rice Memorial Graduate Fellowship (L. G. Nikolcheva), is gratefully acknowledged. Parts of this study were carried out with equipment from the Mount Allison Coastal Wetlands Institute.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, 63B York Street, Sackville, NB, Canada, E3L 1G7

    F. Bärlocher & L. G. Nikolcheva

  2. Department of Life Sciences, University of Toronto at Scarborough, 1265 Military Trail, Scarborough, ON, Canada, M1C 1A4

    K. P. Wilson & D. D. Williams

Authors
  1. F. Bärlocher
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  2. L. G. Nikolcheva
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  3. K. P. Wilson
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  4. D. D. Williams
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Correspondence to F. Bärlocher.

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Bärlocher, F., Nikolcheva, L.G., Wilson, K.P. et al. Fungi in the Hyporheic Zone of a Springbrook. Microb Ecol 52, 708–715 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9102-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-006-9102-4

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