Fungal Perspective of Pine and Oak Colonization in Mediterranean Degraded Ecosystems

Forest restoration has become one of the most important challenges for ecology in recent years. In this regard, soil fungi are fundamental drivers forest ecosystem processes, with significant implications plant growth and survival. However, post-disturbance recovery belowground communities been rarely assessed, especially highly degraded systems such as mines. Our aim was to compare forests mined biomass structure fungal during early stages tree establishment after disturbance. We performed ergosterol analysis PacBio Illumina sequencing internal transcribed spacer 2 amplicons across layers P. sylvestris, Q. robur ilex (holm oak) naturally revegetated sites. pine forests, total significantly higher litter humus compared mineral layers, dominance mycorrhizal genera Tomentella, Inocybe Tricholoma. Conversely, oak abundant were Cortinarius Sebacina, but saprotrophic greater layer fungi, genus Preussia being abundant. sites, ectomycorrhizal dominated Oidiodendron dominant. contrast, holm both Alternaria, Bovista Mycena dominating layer, while Cadophora layer. The habitat-specific differences community composition putative functions suggest that an understanding soil–plant–microbial interactions different species use specific soil/litter inoculum upon planting/seeding might help increase effectiveness strategies Mediterranean