Morphological traits predict host-tree specialization in wood-inhabiting fungal communities

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  • Jenna Purhonen
  • Otso Ovaskainen
  • Panu Halme
  • Atte Komonen
  • Seppo Huhtinen
  • Heikki Kotiranta
  • Læssøe, Thomas
  • Nerea Abrego

Tree species is one of the most important determinants of wood-inhabiting fungal community composition, yet its relationship with fungal reproductive and dispersal traits remains poorly understood. We studied fungal communities (total of 657 species) inhabiting broadleaved and coniferous dead wood (total of 192 logs) in 12 semi-natural boreal forests. We utilized a trait-based hierarchical joint species distribution model to examine how the relationship between dead wood quality and species occurrence correlates with reproductive and dispersal morphological traits. Broadleaved trees had higher species richness than conifers, due to discomycetoids and pyrenomycetoids specializing in them. Resupinate and pileate species were generally specialized in coniferous dead wood. Fungi inhabiting broadleaved trees had larger and more elongated spores than fungi in conifers. Spore size was larger and spore shape more spherical in species occupying large dead wood units. These results indicate the selective effect of dead wood quality, visible not only in species diversity, but also in reproductive and dispersal traits.

Original languageEnglish
Article number100863
JournalFungal Ecology
Volume46
Number of pages8
ISSN1754-5048
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

    Research areas

  • Broadleaved, Coniferous, Dead wood, Fruit body, Functional trait, Morphology, Specialization, Spore, Tree species

ID: 229371683