A taxonomically diverse suite of fungi interacts with bryophytes as pathogens, parasites, saprobes, and commensals. Necrotrophic pathogens such Tephrocybe palustris (Peck) Donk Nectria mnii Döbbeler form patches moribund gametophytes in otherwise healthy mats mosses. These exhibit different methods host cell disruption; N. appears to displace the protoplast intracellular hyphae, while T. causes degeneration. Host responses infection by bryopathogens are also variable. Host–pathogen...

Summary The taxonomic and ecological diversity of ancient fungal communities was assessed by combining next generation sequencing metabarcoding DNA preserved in permafrost. Twenty‐six sediment samples dated 16 000–32 000 radiocarbon years old from two localities S iberia were analysed for ITS . We detected 75 OTU s 21 orders representing three phyla, although rarefaction analyses suggested that the full not recovered despite generating an average 6677 ± 3811 (mean SD ) sequences per sample...

Bryophytes are a dominant vegetation component of the boreal forest, but little is known about their associated fungal communities, including seasonal variation within them. Seasonal in biomass and composition communities with three widespread bryophytes was investigated using HPLC assays ergosterol amplicon pyrosequencing internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) region rDNA. The bryophyte phyllosphere community dominated by Ascomycota. Fungal did not decline appreciably winter (P=0.272)....

Marine fungi are severely understudied in the polar regions. We used molecularly identified cultures to study inhabiting 50 intertidal and sea-floor logs along North Norwegian coast. The aim was explore taxonomic ecological diversity examine factors shaping marine wood-inhabiting fungal communities. 577 pure analyzed clustered into 147 operational units (OTUs) based on 97 % ITS sequence similarity. Ascomycota dominated, but OTUs belonging Basidiomycota, Mucoromycotina Chytridiomycota were...

The rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region has been accepted as a DNA barcoding marker for fungi and is widely used in phylogenetic studies; however, intragenomic ITS variability observed broad range of taxa, including prokaryotes, plants, animals, fungi, this the potential to inflate species richness estimates molecular investigations environmental samples. In study 454 amplicon pyrosequencing ITS1 was applied 99 phylogenetically diverse axenic single-spore cultures (Dikarya:...

Large carnivores that approach human settlements are usually considered a threat to property and safety. The prevailing paradigm, such 'problem' animals in search of food, ignores their social organization. Based on feces, we compared the diet individual brown bears (Ursus arctos) Sweden relation settlements. Nutritive quality was quantified using near-infrared spectroscopy, food items were identified DNA metabarcoding approach. We analyzed 21 during 36 visits near (<150 m) settlements,...

In High Arctic ecosystems, plant growth and reproduction are limited by low soil moisture nutrient availability, air temperatures, a short growing season. Mycorrhizal associations facilitate acquisition water uptake may therefore be particularly ecologically important in nutrition-poor dry environments, such as parts of the Arctic. Similarly, endophytic root associates thought to play protective role, increasing plants' stress tolerance, likely have an ecosystem function. Despite importance...

The Norwegian aquaculture of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) is hampered by ulcerative disorders associated with bacterial infections. Chronic ulceration may provide microenvironments that disturb the normal microbial biodiversity external surfaces. Studying composition communities in skin ulcers will enhance our understanding ulcer aetiology. To achieve this, we tested marine farmed and sampled base edge at end winter (April) summer (September), addition to mucus healthy individuals. In...

There is growing evidence that root-associated fungi have important roles in Arctic ecosystems. Here, we assess the diversity of fungal communities associated with roots ectomycorrhizal perennial herb Bistorta vivipara on archipelago Svalbard and investigate whether spatial separation bioclimatic variation are structuring factors community composition. We sampled 160 plants B. from 32 localities across Svalbard. DNA was extracted entire root systems, 454 pyrosequencing ITS1 amplicons used to...

Abstract Although bryophytes are a dominant vegetation component of boreal and alpine ecosystems, little is known about their associated fungal communities. HPLC assays ergosterol (fungal biomass) amplicon pyrosequencing the ITS 2 region rDNA were used to investigate how communities with four bryophyte species changed across an elevational gradient transitioning from conifer forest low‐alpine. Fungal biomass OTU richness moss hosts did not vary significantly ( P &gt; 0.05), both more...

Summary Glacier chronosequences are important sites for primary succession studies and have yielded well‐defined models plants that identify environmental resistance as an determinant of the successional trajectory. Whether plant‐associated fungal communities follow those same trajectories also respond to is open question. In this study, 454 amplicon pyrosequencing was used compare root‐associated ectomycorrhizal ( ECM ) herb B istorta vivipara along two gradients with different (alpine...

The formation of chimeric sequences can create significant methodological bias in PCR-based DNA metabarcoding analyses. During mixed-template amplification barcoding regions, chimera is frequent and well documented. However, profiling fungal communities typically uses the more variable rDNA region ITS. Due to a larger research community, tools for detection have been developed mainly 16S/18S markers. these are widely applied ITS without verification their performance. We examined rate during...

Understanding spatio-temporal variation in the diet of alpine herbivores is important to predict how a changing climate will affect these species future. We examined willow ptarmigan ( Lagopus l. lagopus ) using DNA metabarcoding fecal pellets sampled from winter early summer over three consecutive years. Furthermore, we assessed snow cover and vegetation phenology affected variation. also investigated sex differences composition. identified 18 taxa genera Betula, Vaccinium Empetrum occurred...

We report a metabarcoding study documenting the fungal taxa in 29 barren fellfield soils sampled from along 1,650 km transect encompassing almost entire maritime Antarctic (60–72°S) and environmental factors structuring richness, relative abundance, taxonomic composition of three guilds growth forms. The richness lichenised guild, which accounted for 19% total community, was positively associated with mean annual surface air temperature (MASAT), an increase 1.7 operational units (OTUs) fungi...

Gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes can impact fecundity, development, behaviour, and survival in wild vertebrate populations. Conventional monitoring of gastrointestinal populations involves morphological identification eggs, larvae, adults from faeces or intestinal samples. Adult worms are typically required for species-level identification, meaning material dead animals is needed to characterize the nematode community with high taxonomic resolution. DNA metabarcoding environmental...

Attraction sites are important for environmental pathogen transmission and spillover. Yet, their role in wildlife disease dynamics is often poorly substantiated. Herein, we study the of salt licks as potential attraction spillover gastrointestinal parasites from domestic sheep to wild reindeer. Eggs introduced nematode Nematodirus battus were found faecal samples both species, suggestive DNA metabarcoding soil, collected at licks, revealed that N. battus, addition Teladorsagia circumcincta,...

Mammalian dispersal is characterized by long‐distance movements, and whether sex‐dependent occurs at pre‐saturation densities affects colonization speed concurrent pathogen spread. In Scandinavia, Sweden classifies wild boar Sus scrofa as a native species retains high densities, while Norwegian authorities considers it an alien invasive maintains the population minimum. With long shared border recent detection of African swine fever (ASF) in Sweden, into Norway concern. Using high‐density...

Abstract Salt lick sites, where artificial salt blocks are placed at permanent locations, common in summer grazing areas for free‐ranging sheep Norwegian mountains. These often overlap with used by wild reindeer, and reindeer frequently observed these sites. The first cases of chronic wasting disease (CWD) were discovered among 2016, sites presumed to be hotspots the transmission CWD. In this study, we compare soil properties nearby control not affected review how salt‐induced changes may...