18S rDNA soil metabarcoding of myxomycetes (Myxogastria) in two mountain national parks of Kazakhstan
This BioProject comprises raw amplicon sequencing data from a soil DNA metabarcoding survey of myxomycetes (Myxogastria) conducted in two mountain national parks of Kazakhstan: Ile-Alatau National Park (Tian Shan, near Almaty) and Katon-Karagay National Park (Southern Altai). The study targeted the V2 region of the 18S rDNA (nrSSU) gene to characterize the diversity and community composition of soil-dwelling dark-spored myxomycetes, with particular attention to the nivicolous (snowbank) guild.Soil samples were collected following a nested spatial design (park -> elevational plots -> subplots -> biological replicates), incorporating open- and closed-canopy positions along elevational transects. Sequencing data were generated in parallel with fruiting-body field surveys to compare the diversity captured by molecular and morphological approaches, and to assess how myxomycete community structure is shaped by geography, elevation and canopy cover.The dataset supports investigation of (i) diversity differences between parks, (ii) elevational and canopy-related turnover in community composition and (iii) the spatial correspondence between soil ribotypes and locally recorded fruiting bodies.