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Simple Summary: The fungi community has received comparatively little attention compared to bacteria in previous studies on the avian gut microbiome. Even though fungi constitute a smaller proportion of the gastrointestinal (GIT) microbiota, changes in the diversity and composition of the gut microbial population have been associated with a number of diseases. This study, concentrating on captive migratory ducks, provides light on the gut fungal population, identifies potential animal pathogens and plant saprotrophs, and reveals that seasonal variations shape the dynamics of the gut fungal community more significantly than the host species. Understanding the dynamics of avian gut fungal communities and potentially pathogenic species across different seasons is crucial for assessing their health and ecological interactions. In this study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to examine the changes in gut fungal communities and the presence of potential pathogens between different seasons in captive Baikal teal and common teal. Between the summer and autumn seasons, both duck species showed significant differences in fungal diversity and community composition. A higher fungal diversity in both species was exhibited in the summer than in the autumn. Ascomycota and Basidiomycota were the two most common phyla, with a greater proportion of Ascomycota than Basidiomycota in both duck species in the summer. Interestingly, our study also identified animal pathogens and plant saprotrophs in the gut fungal communities. Seasonal variation had an effect on the diversity and abundance of both animal pathogens and saprotrophs. Specifically, during the summer season, the diversity and relative abundance were higher compared to the autumn season. In addition, there were differences between duck species in terms of animal pathogens, while no significant differences were observed in saprotrophs. Overall, the communities of the gut fungi, animal pathogens, and saprotrophs were found to be influenced by seasonal changes rather than host species. Therefore, seasonal variations might dominate over host genetics in shaping the gut microbiota of captive Baikal teal and common teal. This study underscores the importance of incorporating an understanding of seasonal dynamics and potential pathogens within the gut microbiota of captive ducks. Such considerations have the potential to drive progress in the development of sustainable and economically viable farming practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The intestinal microbiota play remarkable roles in maintaining the health of their hosts. Recent studies focused on gut bacterial diversity in birds and poultry, with little information about the ecological functions of their gut fungal community. Methods: The high-throughput sequencing was applied to compare intestinal fungal community structure between Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) and Domestic Goose (Anser anser domesticus), and infer the potential pathogens of each species at Shengjin Lake of China. Results: Intestinal fungal alpha diversity was higher in Hooded Crane than Greylag Goose (Anser anser). Gut fungal community composition showed dramatic shifts between the two species. Hooded Cranes mainly eat Vallisneria natans and Potamogeton malaianus, while artificial hurl food (i.e., paddy) was the main food resource for Domestic Geese, suggesting that the variations in fungal community might be induced by different diets between the two hosts. Two enriched genera (i.e., Acremonium and Rhodotorula) which could increase host's digestion were detected in guts of Hooded Cranes. In addition, there were 42 pathogenic amplicon sequence variants (ASVs), 17% of which shared in Hooded Crane and Greylag Goose. The Hooded Crane had higher gut fungal pathogenic diversity and abundance relative to Greylag Goose. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that divergence in intestinal fungal community structure might be induced by different diets between wintering Hooded Crane and Domestic Goose. Hooded Crane might rely more on their gut fungal taxa to acquire nutrients from indigestible food resources. Our study also implied that more research should focus on intestinal pathogens in wild birds and domestic poultry, as they might increase risk of disease in other animals, even human beings. The degree of cross infection in pathogens among wild birds and sympatric poultry should be clearly verified in future study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which is sensitive to global climate change and human activities, is subjected to addition of nutrients such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the soil. The impacts of N or P on ecosystem structure and function depend at least partly on the response of soil fungal communities, although few studies have compared the effects of N and P addition, both separately and together. We examined the responses of composition of the soil fungal community to 3-year experimental nutrient additions (control, N, N plus P, and P) in a typical alpine meadow of the QTP. We found that P addition, regardless of N addition, significantly reduced fungal species richness and changed fungal community composition, while the effect of N was undetectable. Nitrogen plus phosphorus caused a more distinct community than either N or P addition alone. Multivariate regression tree, canonical correspondence analysis, and distance-based multivariate linear model analyses all suggested available P was a key parameter determining the diversity and composition of the fungal community. Other parameters such as dissolved organic N, aboveground net primary productivity of forbs, and dissolved organic C played important but secondary roles. The results indicated an important role of P in structuring soil fungal communities in the alpine meadow. Our results suggest that fungal diversity loss and long-term changes in ecosystem stability can result from fertilization management in the fragile alpine environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Wildfires are important disturbances that help to shape the structure and function of forest ecosystems, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are key players in the post-fire recovery of soils and understory vegetation. We aimed to investigate the response of AMF communities to wildfire over different timescales. Methods: Primer set AMV4.5NF/AMDGR was used to amplify soil 18S rRNA gene fragments for the 454 GS-FLX pyrosequencing platform to examine belowground AMF communities 1 and 11 years following low- and high-intensity wildfires in the Greater Khingan Mountains of China. Results: The majority of AMF sequences detected were annotated as Glomeraceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Diversisporaceae and Acaulosporaceae. Both AMF community composition and alpha-diversity were correlated with herbaceous and shrubby biomass, available phosphorus (AP) and NH, which were in turn altered by wildfire. AMF community composition, alpha-diversity, and phylogenetic structure were significantly altered 1-year-post-fire. However, AMF communities were indistinguishable from unburned forest soils 11-year-post-fire. Conclusions: Our results indicated that AMF communities are resilient to wildfire on decadal timescales. This resilience appears to depend on the post-fire regrowth of understory vegetation and the subsequent recovery of soil chemical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term high intensity continuous cropping with heavy application of mineral fertilization resulted in soil degradation and accumulation of soil-borne plant pathogens. Fungi are key microbial components and closely related to soil health in agroecosystem. In this study, the responses of fungal communities to different agricultural practices were investigated in upland of Ultisol using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). The study involved four management treatments: no fertilization (Control), mineral NPK fertilizer (NPK), NPK fertilizer plus peanut straw (NPKS), and NPK fertilizer plus planting green manure (i.e., hairy vetch; NPKG). By comparison with the NPK, application of NPKG significantly increased soil fertility and peanut yield. The NPKS and NPKG significantly increased soil fungal abundance relative to the NPK. Different agricultural practices significantly altered soil fungal community composition in Ultisol. Soil pH and phosphorus content were the two most pivotal drivers shaping fungal community structure. Compared to the NPK, the NPKS and NPKG significantly increased the relative abundance of Basidiomycota. The NPKG increased the relative abundance of certain plant-beneficial fungal taxa and decreased the relative abundance and diversity of plant-pathogen relative to NPK and NPKS, thereby contributing to suppressing continuous cropping barriers and increasing peanut productivity. Overall, our results suggested that planting hairy vetch might outperform NPK or returning peanut straw for improving peanut yield by increasing soil fertility and altering fungal community structure in upland of Ultisol. • Different practices affected fungal abundance and community structure in Ultisol. • Shifts in soil P and pH led to divergence in fungal community among treatments. • Application of hairy vetch decreased the relative abundance of plant-pathogen. • Hairy vetch increased crop yield by improving soil fertility and fungal community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stag beetles, recognized as common saproxylic insects, are valued for their vibrant coloration and distinctive morphology. These beetles play a crucial ecological role in decomposition and nutrient cycling, serving as a vital functional component in ecosystem functioning. Although previous studies have confirmed that stag beetles are predominantly fungivores, the fluctuations in their intestinal fungal communities at different developmental stages remain poorly understood. In the current study, high-throughput sequencing was employed to investigate the dynamic changes within intestinal fungal communities at various developmental stages in the stag beetle Dorcus hopei. Results showed that microbial diversity was higher during the larval stage than during the pupal and adult stages. Furthermore, significant differences were identified in the composition of the intestinal fungal communities across the larval, pupal, and adult stages, suggesting that developmental transitions may be crucial factors contributing to variations in fungal community composition and diversity. Dominant genera included Candida, Scheffersomyces, Phaeoacremonium, and Trichosporon. Functional predictions indicated a greater diversity and relative abundance of endosymbiotic fungi in the larval gut, suggesting a potential dependency of larvae on beneficial gut fungi for nutrient acquisition. Additionally, the application of abundance-based β-null deviation and niche width analyses revealed that the adult gut exerted a stronger selection pressure on its fungal community, favoring certain taxa. This selection process culminates in a more robust co-occurrence network of fungal communities within the adult gut, thereby enhancing their adaptability to environmental fluctuations. This study advances our understanding of the intestinal fungal community structure in stag beetles, providing a crucial theoretical foundation for the development of saproxylic beetle resources, biomass energy utilization, plastic degradation strategies, and beetle conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Corn yield was closely coupled with soil fungal abundance and diversity. • Mineral and organic fertilization led to divergence in fungal communities. • Soil fungal community composition was primarily driven by SOC content. Fertilization maintains soil fertility and maximizes crop productivity, but changes soil microbial community structure and functions. However, little is known about the effects of long-term mineral and/or organic fertilization on fungal communities which regulate nutrient cycling and crop growth. The responses of fungal abundance and community structure to 29-year mineral and/or organic fertilization were investigated in Ultisol using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and high-throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-Seq). Compared to the control, mineral N fertilization decreased fungal abundance by 44%, but showed little effect on crop yield and fungal diversity. The NPK fertilization increased crop yield by 4.5 times and fungal diversity by 1.4 times, but had little effect on fungal abundance relative to the control. Manure application increased crop yield by 8.4 times, fungal abundance by 1.8 times and fungal diversity by 1.5 times relative to the control. Application of manure plus NPK increased crop yield by 9.5 times, fungal abundance by 1.9 times and fungal diversity by 1.6 times relative to the control. Long-term fertilization led to dramatic shifts in fungal community composition. Compared to the control, mineral and organic fertilization decreased the relative abundance of Ascomycota and Basidiomycota, respectively. The fungal community composition diverged between soils with mineral and organic fertilization. Changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) and nutrient contents primarily shifted fungal abundance and community structure. Manure application resulted in higher SOC and nutrient contents, and thus affected fungal abundance and community structure more strongly than mineral fertilization. Manure application rather than mineral fertilization increased the relative abundance of certain favorable fungal taxa (e.g., Pseudaleuria and Hypocreales) which suppress crop pathogens. Overall, long-term manure application explained patterns in soil fertility, crop productivity, fungal abundance, diversity and community composition better than mineral fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory birds travel long distance and link various pathogens. Due to habitat degradation, wintering waterfowls forage together with poultry, increasing the risk of pathogen transmission between hosts. We investigated the fungal communities between wintering Hooded Cranes and Domestic Geese by high-throughput sequencing, and inferred the potential gut pathogens for both hosts at different wintering stages. The fungal community compositions were significantly different between seasons and between the hosts. The negative correlation was found between fungal diversity and pathogenic diversity, with higher fungal diversity and less pathogenic diversity in early stage and less fungal diversity and higher pathogenic diversity in late stage for both hosts. The dissimilarity of pathogenic community compositions decreased from early to late stage, with the quantity of overlapping potential pathogenic OTUs increasing along wintering periods between the two hosts, demonstrating the existence of pathogen cross transmission between the two hosts. Furthermore, the transmission pathway of avian pathogens was mainly from Hooded Cranes to Domestic Geese while the transmission direction of human pathogens was primarily from Domestic Geese to wild cranes. Based on above results, we argued that pathogen cross transmission and underlying outbreak risk of disease should be closely monitored in migratory birds and domestic poultry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]