Comparative analyses of sooty mould communities from Brazil and Central Europe

Abstract To gain an insight into fungal sooty mould communities on leaves of trees and shrubs in the tropics temperate regions, 47 biofilms Mata Atlântica rainforest relic Caatinga vegetation state Sergipe, Northeast Brazil, from Central European colline alpine zones were compared. The four sampling sites clearly differed composition their epiphyllous communities. OTUs all belonged mainly to Ascomycota, with Dothideomycetes being dominant class. core community group consisted a few site-specific representatives co-occurrence ubiquitous Mycosphaerella tassiana Aureobasidium pullulans . Most species dark pigmented accompanied by facultative unpigmented or lightly species. Among cultivable species, proportion melanised was significantly more abundant samples two sites, which supports theory thermal melanism. identity host plant had stronger impact than presence sap-feeding insects.