Conclusions
Tropical fungal diversity is surprisingly high and poorly understood. In
our study, we found that the equivalent to a teaspoon of Amazonian soil
can contain as many as 1 800 OTUs, which up to 400 were classified as
fungi. It might therefore not be an exaggeration to call fungal
diversity the ‘dark matter’ of life on Earth, alongside many other
poorly studied groups. Our results highlight the importance of habitat
type for fungal community composition. We also show that the known
general patterns found for macro-organisms in Amazonia may not apply to
fungi. It is important to improve our understanding of the patterns and
drivers of fungal diversity and community composition since this is one
of the most diverse eukaryotic kingdoms, whose members play key roles in
nutrient cycling and biotic interactions in terrestrial ecosystems.
Deforestation of Amazonia is increasing rapidly83, and
to protect this forest it is fundamental to understand the processes
underpinning ecosystem stability. For this, we have to focus on the
distribution and diversity of organisms essential for the ecosystem
functionality, including fungi.