The fungal diversity found by UVA in the sampling plots of the LIFE Mycorestore project

Volterra News MycoRestore

Results showed a predominance of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mucoromycota in all samples. Alpha diversity at genus level was not affected by health status and was characterized by uneven, poorly distributed fungal communities dominated by a few genera. Differentially abundant (DA) genera between healthy and declined samples were found in chestnut (15), holm oak (6), and pyrenean oak (4) trees, but not in cork oak. Some genera known for their plant protection potential, such as Trichoderma, were found exclusively in healthy trees. Functional profiles revealed a predominance of phytopathogens and saprobes in all tree species, irrespective of their health status.