ena-STUDY-UFZ-19-01-2015-09:10:48:339-301
Fungal diversity of the karstic limestone aquifers in the Earth's Critical Zone
Despite the immense significance of fungi in the aquatic ecosystems, their diversity and ecological roles in the terrestrial limestone aquifers are largely unknown. In this study we investigated the presence and community structure of fungi in two superimposed limestone aquifers in the newly established Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory (Hainich-CZE). DNA based pyro-tag sequencing of fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene was used to detect the presence of fungi and to evaluate their community structure in the aquifers. Our results indicated the presence of fungal OTUs in all observation points of the accessible upper and lower limestone aquifers ranging from 12 to 88 m depth below the surface.  However in light of the limited available knowledge about the aquifer mycobiota, it can only be speculated that fungi play a an important functional roles as decomposer in terrestrial subsurface ecosystems there by influencing the aquatic food web dynamics.
Despite the immense significance of fungi in the aquatic ecosystems, their diversity and ecological roles in the terrestrial limestone aquifers are largely unknown. In this study we investigated the presence and community structure of fungi in two superimposed limestone aquifers in the newly established Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory (Hainich-CZE). DNA based pyro-tag sequencing of fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA gene was used to detect the presence of fungi and to evaluate their community structure in the aquifers. Our results indicated the presence of fungal OTUs in all observation points of the accessible upper and lower limestone aquifers ranging from 12 to 88 m depth below the surface.  However in light of the limited available knowledge about the aquifer mycobiota, it can only be speculated that fungi play a an important functional roles as decomposer in terrestrial subsurface ecosystems there by influencing the aquatic food web dynamics.