Höhen - und Bewirtschaftungsgradient in einem deutschen Mittelgebirge zur Abschätzung von Veränderungen in Waldökosystemen im Klimawandel
FKZ 28W-C-4-122-03
From 01/2018 to 05/2020Principal Investigator: Gerhard Rambold
Staff: Daniel Osieko Okach, Janno Harjes
In a joint study, Markus Blaschke, Angela Siemonsmeier, Janno Harjes, Daniel O. Okach, and Gerhard Rambold compared two approaches for surveying fungi along an altitudinal gradient in the Bavarian Forest: traditional fruit body inventories and modern DNA metabarcoding of soil samples. The results were clear: metabarcoding revealed a much greater fungal diversity than visual observation alone. While fruit body inventories mostly detected Basidiomycota, DNA analysis uncovered a balanced mix of Basidiomycota and Ascomycota — including species that are hard to see or grow hidden underground. Interestingly, the DNA-based method also showed a decline in fungal richness at higher altitudes, a trend not captured by fruit body surveys. These findings highlight the importance of integrating molecular tools into biodiversity monitoring — especially for understanding hidden or cryptic fungal communities.
List of publications of this Project
| Blaschke, M; Siemonsmeier, A; Harjes, J; Okach, DO; Rambold, G: Comparison of survey methods for fungi using metabarcoding and fruit body inventories in an altitudinal gradient, Archives of Microbiology (2023), doi:10.1007/s00203-023-03606-9 -- Details |