Changes in Microfungal Community in Cherrapunji—The Wettest Patch on Earth as Influenced by Heavy Rain and Soil Degradation
Affiliation(s)
Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.
Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong, India.
ABSTRACT
As part of a long time analysis to examine the ecological impacts of heavy rain coupled to soil degradation, soil fungal communities from two closely spaced sites bearing distinct ecology—one receiving heaviest rainfall but degraded patch on earth and the other pristine sacred grove forest were investigated over a period of three years. Cherrapunji besides being highest rainfall receiving area, is characterized by complete deforestation and soil erosion with sparse grasses forming the surface growth, whereas the sacred forests are conserved in their pristine nature due to religious beliefs of the indigenous tribes. The effect of deforestation and land degradation on soil microbes, soil organic carbon, soil nitrate nitrogen, soil pH, soil temperature, and fungal CFU/g were investigated from the two contrasting sites. The sites showed great variability in physical and chemical parameters including soil composition, temperature, pH, soil carbon, nitrogen content, water availability and enzyme activities. The population count of fungi was higher in sacred forest soil than degraded land of Cherrapunji. In both soil types, Penicillium perpurogenum markedly dominated and the co-dominant species (Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp. and Trichoderma sp.) were common in both virgin and degraded soils. A total of 63 species were identified during the study period. The species composition between the two sites showed some variation as Syncephalastrum sp., S. chartarum, Gliocladium sp., Eupenicillium osmophilum and Eurotium sp. were not present in Cherrapunji. The undisturbed sacred forest fungal communities had significantly higher Simpson, Shannon and evenness indices than that of degraded soil of Cherrapunji. The prolonged anthropogenic activity in the area leading to degradation coupled with heavy rainfall has decreased the diversity level of fungal communities and masked the pristine differentiating effect of soil on the fungal community.
As part of a long time analysis to examine the ecological impacts of heavy rain coupled to soil degradation, soil fungal communities from two closely spaced sites bearing distinct ecology—one receiving heaviest rainfall but degraded patch on earth and the other pristine sacred grove forest were investigated over a period of three years. Cherrapunji besides being highest rainfall receiving area, is characterized by complete deforestation and soil erosion with sparse grasses forming the surface growth, whereas the sacred forests are conserved in their pristine nature due to religious beliefs of the indigenous tribes. The effect of deforestation and land degradation on soil microbes, soil organic carbon, soil nitrate nitrogen, soil pH, soil temperature, and fungal CFU/g were investigated from the two contrasting sites. The sites showed great variability in physical and chemical parameters including soil composition, temperature, pH, soil carbon, nitrogen content, water availability and enzyme activities. The population count of fungi was higher in sacred forest soil than degraded land of Cherrapunji. In both soil types, Penicillium perpurogenum markedly dominated and the co-dominant species (Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp. and Trichoderma sp.) were common in both virgin and degraded soils. A total of 63 species were identified during the study period. The species composition between the two sites showed some variation as Syncephalastrum sp., S. chartarum, Gliocladium sp., Eupenicillium osmophilum and Eurotium sp. were not present in Cherrapunji. The undisturbed sacred forest fungal communities had significantly higher Simpson, Shannon and evenness indices than that of degraded soil of Cherrapunji. The prolonged anthropogenic activity in the area leading to degradation coupled with heavy rainfall has decreased the diversity level of fungal communities and masked the pristine differentiating effect of soil on the fungal community.
Cite this paper
P. Saikia and S. Ram Joshi, "Changes in Microfungal Community in Cherrapunji—The Wettest Patch on Earth as Influenced by Heavy Rain and Soil Degradation," Advances in Microbiology, Vol. 2 No. 4, 2012, pp. 456-464. doi: 10.4236/aim.2012.24059.
P. Saikia and S. Ram Joshi, "Changes in Microfungal Community in Cherrapunji—The Wettest Patch on Earth as Influenced by Heavy Rain and Soil Degradation," Advances in Microbiology, Vol. 2 No. 4, 2012, pp. 456-464. doi: 10.4236/aim.2012.24059.
References
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Clark, “Culture- Independent Molecular Techniques for Soil Microbial Ecology,” Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 42, 2010, pp. 878-887. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.02.019
[1] J. P. Borneman, W. Skroch, K. M. O’Sullivan, J. A. Palus, N. G. Rumjanek, J. L. Jansen, J. Nienhuis and E. W. Triplett, “Molecular Microbial Diversity of an Agricultural Soil in Wisconsin,” Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 62, No. 6, 1996, pp. 1935-1943. [2] E. Brodie, S. Edwards and N. Clipson, “Soil Fungal Community Structure in a Temperate Upland Grassland Soil,” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Vol. 45, No. 2, 2003, pp. 105-114. doi:10.1016/S0168-6496(03)00126-0 [3] M. Viaud, A. Pasquieur and Y. Brygoo, “Diversity of Soil Fungi Studied by PCR-RFLP of ITS,” Mycological Research, Vol. 104, No. 9, 2000, pp. 1027-1032. doi:10.1017/S0953756200002835 [4] N. S. Lord, C. W. Kaplan, P. Shank, C. L. Kitts and S. L. Elrod, “Assessment of Fungal Diversity Using Terminal Restriction Fragment (TRF) Pattern Analysis: Comparison of 18S and ITS Ribosomal Regions,” FEMS Microbiology Ecology, Vol. 42, No. 3, 2002, pp. 327-337. doi:10.1111/j.1574-6941.2002.tb01022.x [5] R. D. Bardgett, C. Freeman and N. J. Ostle, “Microbial Contributions to Climate Change through Carbon Cycle Feedbacks,” ISME Journal, Vol. 2, No. 8, 2008, pp. 805-814. doi:10.1038/ismej.2008.58 [6] M. D. J. Lynch and R. G. Thorn, “Diversity of Basidiomycetes in Michigan Agricultural Soils,” Applied Environmental Microbiology, Vol. 72, No. 11, 2006, pp. 7050-7056. doi:10.1128/AEM.00826-06 [7] R. C. Cooke and A. D. M. Rayner, “Ecology of Saprotrophic Fungi,” Longman, London, 1984. [8] J. L. Green, B. J. M. Bohannan and R. J. Whitaker, “Microbial Biogeography from Taxonomy to Traits,” Science, Vol. 320, 2008, pp. 1039-1043. doi:10.1126/science.1153475 [9] J. C. Zak, “Response of Soil Fungal Communities to Disturbance,” In: G. Carroll and D. T. Wicklow, Eds., The Fungal Community: Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem, 2nd Edition, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1992, pp. 403-425. [10] D. L. Lodge and S. Cantrell, “Fungal Communities in Wet Tropical Forests: Variation in Time and Space,” Canadian Journal of Botany, Vol. 73, No. 1, 1995, pp. 1391-1398. doi:10.1139/b95-402 [11] B. K. Tiwari, S. K. Barik and R. S. Tripathi, “Biodiversity Value, Status, and Strategies for Conservation of Sacred Groves of Meghalaya, India,” Ecosystem Health, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1998, pp. 20-32. doi:10.1046/j.1526-0992.1998.00068.x [12] M. B. Ellis, “More Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes,” Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, 1976. [13] J. A. Von Arx, “The Genera of Fungi Sporulating in Pure Culture,” Vaduz, 1978. [14] H. L. Barnett and B. B. Hunter, “Illustrated Genera of Imperfect Fungi,” 4th Edition, The American Phytopathological Society, St. Paul, 1998. [15] M. A. Tabatabai and J. M. Bremner, “Use of p-Nitrophenyl Phosphate for Assay of Soil Phosphatase Activity,” Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 1, 1969, pp. 301-307. doi:10.1016/0038-0717(69)90012-1 [16] J. G. Casida, D. A. Klien Jr. and T. Santoro, “Soil Dehydrogenase Activity,” Soil Science, Vol. 98, 1964, pp. 371-376. doi:10.1097/00010694-196412000-00004 [17] J. W. McGarity and M. G. Myers, “A Survey of Urease Activity in Soils of Northern New South Wales,” Plant and Soil, Vol. 27, 1967, pp. 217-238. doi:10.1007/BF01373391 [18] E. H. Simpson, “Measurement of Diversity,” Nature, Vol. 163, 1949, pp. 688-690. [19] C. E. Shannon and W. Weaver, “The Mathematical Theory of Communication,” University of Illinois Press, Urbana, 1949. [20] Q. Hammer, D. A. T. Harper and P. D. Ryan, “PAST: Paleontological Statistics Software Package for Education and Data Analysis,” Palaeontologica Electronica, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2001, p. 9. http://palaeo-electronica.org/2001_1 /past/issue1_01.htm [21] K. M. Carney and P. A. Matson, “The Influence of Plant Community Composition and Diversity on Soil Microbial Communities,” Microbal Ecology, Vol. 52, 2006, pp. 226-238. doi:10.1007/s00248-006-9115-z [22] R. M. Atlas, A. Horowitz, M. Krichevsky and A. K. Bej, “Response of Microbial Populations to Environmental Disturbance,” Microbail Ecology, Vol. 22, 1991, pp. 249-256. doi:10.1007/BF02540227 [23] M. Joshi, G. S. Mer, S. P. Singh and Y. S. Rawat, “ Seasonal Pattern of Total Soil Respiration in Undisturbed and Disturbed Ecosystems of Central Himalaya,” Biology and Fertility of Soils, Vol. 11, 1991, pp. 267-272. doi:10.1007/BF00335846 [24] X. Liu, W. C. Lindemann, W. G. Whitford and R. L. Steiner, “Microbial Diversity and Activity of Disturbed Soil in the Northern Chihuahuan Desert,” Biology and Fertility of Soils, Vol. 32, No. 3, 2000, pp. 243-249. doi:10.1007/s003740000242 [25] H. Bolton Jr., J. K. Fredrikson and L. E. Elliot, “Microbiology of the Rhizosphere,” In: F. B. Metting Jr., Ed., Soil Microbial Ecology, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1993, pp. 27-63. [26] J. Rousk, E. Baath, P. C. Brookes, C. L. Lauber, C. Lozupone, J. G. Caporaso, R. Knight and N. Fierer, “Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities across a pH Gradient in an Arable Soil,” ISME Journal, Vol. 4, 2010, pp. 340-1352. doi:10.1038/ismej.2010.58 [27] J. C. Zak, “Response of Soil Fungal Communities to Disturbance,” In: G. Carroll and D. T. Wicklow, Eds., The Fungal Community: Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem, 2nd Edition, Marcel Dekker, New York, 1992, pp. 403-425. [28] O. E. Marfenina, “The Anthropogenic Ecology of Soil Fungi,” Medicina Dljavseh (in Russian), Moscow, 2005. [29] J. P. Schmit and D. J. Lodge, “Classical Methods and Modern Analysis for Studying Fungal Diversity,” In: J. Dighton, J. F. White Jr. and P. Oudemans, Eds., The Fun- gal Community, Its Organization and Role in the Ecosystem, CRC Press, Boca Raton, 2005, pp. 193-213. doi:10.1201/9781420027891.ch10 [30] P. R. Hirsch, T. R. Mauchline and I. M. Clark, “Culture- Independent Molecular Techniques for Soil Microbial Ecology,” Soil Biology and Biochemistry, Vol. 42, 2010, pp. 878-887. doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2010.02.019