Fungal succession on the decomposition of three plant species from a Brazilian mangrove

Abstract

Leaf decomposition is the primary process in release of nutrients in the dynamic mangrove habitat, supporting the ecosystem food webs. On most environments, fungi are an essential part of this process. However, due to the peculiarities of mangrove forests, this group is currently neglected. Thus, this study tests the hypothesis that fungal communities display a specific succession pattern in different mangrove species and this due to differences in their ecological role. A molecular approach was employed to investigate the dynamics of the fungal community during the decomposition of three common plant species (Rhizophora mangle, Laguncularia racemosa, and Avicennia schaueriana) from a mangrove habitat located at the southeast of Brazil. Plant material was the primary driver of fungi communities, but time also was marginally significant for the process, and evident changes in the fungal community during the decomposition process were observed. The five most abundant classes common to all the three plant species were Saccharomycetes, Sordariomycetes, Tremellomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, and Dothideomycetes, all belonging to the Phylum Ascomycota. Microbotryomycetes class were shared only by A. schaueriana and L. racemosa, while Agaricomycetes class were shared by L. racemosa and R. mangle. The class Glomeromycetes were shared by A. schaueriana and R. mangle. The analysis of the core microbiome showed that Saccharomycetes was the most abundant class. In the variable community, Sordariomycetes was the most abundant one, mainly in the Laguncularia racemosa plant. The results presented in this work shows a specialization of the fungal community regarding plant material during litter decomposition which might be related to the different chemical composition and rate of degradation.