Fungal biomass and species composition of cultivated microfungi in the soils of Eastern and Western Antarctica

Abstract

Structure of fungal biomass and their distributions in the profiles of Antarctic soils has been examined. The biomass in these soils is low, but half of propagules are viable. The maximal value of fungal biomass (0.6± 0.10 mg/g soil) has been estimated in soils under mosses and lichens. In soils of regoliths and «stone roadways» a biomass of fungi was the lowest — less 0.3 mg/g of soil. In some profiles the highest content of fungal biomass was found in the horizons under topsoil. These features are not typical for zonal soils of nonextreme ecosystems. The abundance of cultivated microfungi in Antarctic soils was low (0.4×103 — 8.0×103 CFU/g soil). The majority of fungal species was isolated at +5 °C. The highest number of CFU was determined in soils with rich organic and moisture content. The dark-colored microfungi of genera Alternaria, Cladosporium, Doratomyces, Phoma etc. were predominantly isolated from the topsoil of «stone roadways»

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