Summary
This global meta-analysis synthesises previously generated mycobiome datasets linked to specific geographical locations to characterise fungal biogeography and its environmental drivers. Climate emerges as a dominant factor shaping fungal distribution and community structure, with fungal diversity unexpectedly concentrated at high latitudes. The authors highlight that mycorrhizal fungi exhibit narrower climatic tolerances than pathogenic fungi, suggesting that climate change may disrupt key ecosystem functions dependent on these climate-sensitive taxa.
UK applicability
The findings are relevant to UK agricultural and forestry policy as they suggest that climate change could alter the distribution and function of soil fungal communities critical to ecosystem services. The narrow climatic tolerances of mycorrhizal fungi may be particularly important for UK upland and high-latitude ecosystems where such communities are prominent.
Key measures
Fungal taxa distribution, fungal community composition, fungal diversity indices, correlations with climate variables (temperature, precipitation), soil variables, and vegetation variables; climatic tolerance ranges of mycorrhizal versus pathogenic fungal groups
Outcomes reported
The study characterised global fungal distribution patterns across geographical locations and identified climate as a primary driver of fungal community composition and diversity. Analysis revealed that fungal diversity concentrates at high latitudes (contrary to most organisms), and that mycorrhizal fungi have narrower climatic tolerances than pathogenic fungi.
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