Soil nutritional status, not inoculum identity, primarily determines the effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on the growth of Knautia arvensis plants

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) symbiosis is among the factors contributing to plant survival in serpentine soils characterised by unfavourable physicochemical properties. However, AM fungi show a considerable functional diversity, which is further modified by host plant identity and edaphic conditions. To determine the variability among serpentine AM fungal isolates in their effects on plant growth and nutrition, a greenhouse experiment was conducted involving two serpentine and two non-serpentine populations of Knautia arvensis plants grown in their native substrates. The plants were inoculated with one of the four serpentine AM fungal isolates or with a complex AM fungal community native to the respective plant population. At harvest after 6-month cultivation, intraradical fungal development was assessed, AM fungal taxa established from native fungal communities were determined and plant growth and element uptake evaluated. AM symbiosis significantly improved the performance of all the K. arvensis populations. The extent of mycorrhizal growth promotion was mainly governed by nutritional status of the substrate, while the effect of AM fungal identity was negligible. Inoculation with the native AM fungal communities was not more efficient than inoculation with single AM fungal isolates in any plant population. Contrary to the growth effects, a certain variation among AM fungal isolates was revealed in terms of their effects on plant nutrient uptake, especially P, Mg and Ca, with none of the AM fungi being generally superior in this respect. Regardless of AM symbiosis, K. arvensis populations significantly differed in their relative nutrient accumulation ratios, clearly showing the plant’s ability to adapt to nutrient deficiency/excess.     

Wide divergence of fungal communities inhabiting rocks and soils in a hyper-arid Antarctic desert

Highly simplified microbial communities colonise rocks and soils of continental Antarctica ice-free deserts. These two habitats impose different selection pressures on organisms, yet the possible filtering effects on the diversity and composition of microbial communities have not hitherto been fully characterised. We hence compared fungal communities in rocks and soils in three localities of inner Victoria Land. We found low fungal diversity in both substrates, with a mean species richness of 28 across all samples, and significantly lower diversity in rocks than in soils. Rock and soil communities were strongly differentiated, with a multinomial species classification method identifying just three out of 328 taxa as generalists with no affinity for either substrate. Rocks were characterised by a higher abundance of lichen-forming fungi (typically Buellia, Carbonea, Pleopsidium, Lecanora, and Lecidea), possibly owing to the more protected environment and the porosity of rocks permitting photosynthetic activity. In contrast, soils were dominated by obligate yeasts (typically Naganishia and Meyerozyma), the abundances of which were correlated with edaphic factors, and the black yeast Cryomyces. Our study suggests that strong differences in selection pressures may account for the wide divergences of fungal communities in rocks and soils of inner Victoria Land.     

The characterisation of eukaryotic microbial communities on sandstone buildings in Belfast,UK, using TRFLP and 454 pyrosequencing

Eukaryotic microorganisms, notably microbial algae and fungi, can have a major impact on the biodeterioration of building stone, particularly when they form green biofilms. However, comparatively little is known about the composition and structure of eukaryotic communities living on the surface of stone. The twin aims of this study were to a) characterise algal and fungal communities living on heritage structures in Belfast, UK and b) to investigate the relationship between eukaryotic community composition and a variety of substrate characteristics. We used molecular techniques (TRFLP and 454 pyrosequencing) to characterise the communities. We found unexpectedly high levels of taxonomic richness in algal communities, but low overall levels of diversity in both the algal and the fungal assemblages resulting from inequitable distributions of taxa. Our findings suggest the existence of a small pool of cosmopolitan algal species and relatively homogeneous algal communities on sandstone structures. In contrast, fungal communities were much richer and more spatially heterogeneous. It is likely that the aggressive chemical cleaning of one of the structures in the 1980s has had an ongoing impact on microbial community structure. Furthermore, whilst substrate characteristics seem to impact on the abundance/biomass of eukaryotic microbial communities, they do not influence diversity.     

Culture-Dependent and -Independent Methods Capture Different Microbial Community Fractions in Hydrocarbon-Contaminated Soils

Bioremediation is a cost-effective and sustainable approach for treating polluted soils, but our ability to improve on current bioremediation strategies depends on our ability to isolate microorganisms from these soils. Although culturing is widely used in bioremediation research and applications, it is unknown whether the composition of cultured isolates closely mirrors the indigenous microbial community from contaminated soils. To assess this, we paired culture-independent (454-pyrosequencing of total soil DNA) with culture-dependent (isolation using seven different growth media) techniques to analyse the bacterial and fungal communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils. Although bacterial and fungal rarefaction curves were saturated for both methods, only 2.4% and 8.2% of the bacterial and fungal OTUs, respectively, were shared between datasets. Isolated taxa increased the total recovered species richness by only 2% for bacteria and 5% for fungi. Interestingly, none of the bacteria that we isolated were representative of the major bacterial OTUs recovered by 454-pyrosequencing. Isolation of fungi was moderately more effective at capturing the dominant OTUs observed by culture-independent analysis, as 3 of 31 cultured fungal strains ranked among the 20 most abundant fungal OTUs in the 454-pyrosequencing dataset. This study is one of the most comprehensive comparisons of microbial communities from hydrocarbon-contaminated soils using both isolation and high-throughput sequencing methods.     

Fundamental drivers for endolithic microbial community assemblies in the hyperarid Atacama Desert

In hyperarid deserts, endolithic microbial communities colonize the rocks’ interior as a survival strategy. Yet, the composition of these communities and the drivers promoting their assembly are still poorly understood. We analysed the diversity and community composition of endoliths from four different lithic substrates – calcite, gypsum, ignimbrite and granite – collected in the hyperarid zone of the Atacama Desert, Chile. By combining microscopy, mineralogy, spectroscopy and high throughput sequencing, we found these communities to be highly specific to their lithic substrate, although they were all dominated by the same four main phyla, Cyanobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Proteobacteria. Our finding indicates a fine scale diversification of the microbial reservoir driven by substrate properties. The data suggest that the overall rock chemistry and the light transmission properties of the substrates are not essential drivers of community structure and composition. Instead, we propose that the architecture of the rock, i.e., the space available for colonization and its physical structure, linked to water retention capabilities, is ultimately the driver of community diversity and composition at the dry limit of life.     

Do foliar fungal communities of Norway spruce shift along a tree species diversity gradient in mature European forests?

Foliar fungal species are diverse and colonize all plants, though whether forest tree species composition influences the distribution of these fungal communities remains unclear. Fungal communities include quiescent taxa and the functionally important and metabolically active taxa that respond to changes in the environment. To determine fungal community shifts along a tree species diversity gradient, needles of Norway spruce were sampled from trees from four mature European forests. We hypothesized that the fungal communities and specific fungal taxa would correlate with tree species diversity. Furthermore, the active fungal community, and not the total community, would shift along the tree diversity gradient. High-throughput sequencing showed significant differences in the fungal communities in the different forests, and in one forest, tree diversity effects were observed, though this was not a general phenomenon. Our study also suggests that studying the metabolically active community may not provide additional information about community composition or diversity.     

Use of drift substrates to characterize marine fungal communities from the west coast of Portugal

This survey reports the occurrence, diversity and similarity of marine fungi associated with five categories of drift substrates (Arundo donax, Phragmites australis, Spartina maritima, "other stems" and driftwood) collected on four sandy beaches of the western coast of Portugal. "Other stems" and driftwood are composite samples with a variety of identified and unidentified pieces of non-woody and woody substrates respectively. Fifty-six taxa were identified, including 38 Ascomycota and 18 anamorphic fungi. Twenty-six taxa were generalists; however several cases of "substrate recurrence" were identified. The very frequent fungi differed among the categories of studied substrates, with the exception of Corollospora maritima, very frequent on four categories. Except for S. maritima, P. australis and driftwood, cases of multiple fungal colonization were rare. S. maritima was the single substrate with five different marine fungi on one sample, as well as with the highest number of very frequent fungi, highest percentage of colonization and average number of fungi per sample. Driftwood presented the highest value of fungal richness (37 taxa) and A. donax the lowest (22 taxa). ANOSIM analysis of similarity showed that all substrates supported different fungal communities with the exception of the pair P. australis/"other stems". The effect of sample size on estimated fungal richness was tested, and the results let us conclude that, although most of the sporadic fungi (<1% occurrence) will be detected only in a very large number of samples, 60 samples of A. donax and "other stems" and 70 samples of all the other substrates may suffice to assess their respective representative marine mycota.     

Microplastics alter composition of fungal communities in aquatic ecosystems

Despite increasing concerns about microplastic (MP) pollution in aquatic ecosystems, there is insufficient knowledge on how MP affect fungal communities. In this study, we explored the diversity and community composition of fungi attached to polyethylene (PE) and polystyrene (PS) particles incubated in different aquatic systems in north‐east Germany: the Baltic Sea, the River Warnow and a wastewater treatment plant. Based on next generation 18S rRNA gene sequencing, 347 different operational taxonomic units assigned to 81 fungal taxa were identified on PE and PS. The MP‐associated communities were distinct from fungal communities in the surrounding water and on the natural substrate wood. They also differed significantly among sampling locations, pointing towards a substrate and location specific fungal colonization. Members of Chytridiomycota, Cryptomycota and Ascomycota dominated the fungal assemblages, suggesting that both parasitic and saprophytic fungi thrive in MP biofilms. Thus, considering the worldwide increasing accumulation of plastic particles as well as the substantial vector potential of MP, especially these fungal taxa might benefit from MP pollution in the aquatic environment with yet unknown impacts on their worldwide distribution, as well as biodiversity and food web dynamics at large.     

Growth of Frankia strains in leaf litter-amended soil and the rhizosphere of a nonactinorhizal plant

Verticillium leptobactrum , a rare fungal species, has repeatedly been isolated from serpentinic rocks in the Western Alps, thus suggesting that it adapts easily to this selective mineral substrate. The rRNA internal transcribed spacer region of several isolates has been sequenced to confirm their identity and taxonomic position within Verticillium , a recently revised polyphyletic entity. Isolates of V. leptobactrum have also been investigated to establish their ability to weather asbestos chrysotile, the most common mineral in the isolation sites. The results of solubilization assays on magnesium and silicon, as well as measurement of the Mg/Si ratio in the asbestos fibres after exposure to fungal mycelia, indicate a high bioweathering activity of V. leptobactrum towards chrysotile. Comparison with data on Fusarium oxysporum shows differences among species, with V. leptobactrum being more active than F. oxysporum in removing structural ions from chrysotile. Asbestos weathering by fungi could be envisaged as a bioremediation strategy for hazardous asbestos-rich soils (e.g. abandoned mines). Fungi that have adapted to live in serpentine sites could be good candidates for this purpose.     

Vertical distribution of fungal communities in tallgrass prairie soil

We used 454 sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region to characterize fungal communities in tallgrass prairie soils subdivided into strata 0-10, 10-20, 30-40 and 50-60 cm deep. The dataset included more than 14000 fungal sequences distributed across Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, basal fungal lineages and Glomeromycota in order of decreasing frequency. As expected the community richness and diversity estimators tended to decrease with increasing depth. Although species richness was significantly reduced for samples from the deeper profiles, even the deepest stratum sampled contained richness of more than a third of that in the topmost stratum. More importantly, nonparametric multidimensional scaling (NMS) ordination analyses indicated that the fungal communities differed across vertical profiles, although only the topmost and deepest strata were significantly different when the NMS axis scores were compared by ANOVA. These results emphasize the importance of considering the fungal communities across the vertical strata because the deeper soil horizons might maintain a distinct community composition and thus contribute greatly to overall richness. The majority of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) declined in frequency with increasing depth, although a linear regression analysis indicated that some increased with increasing depth. The OTUs and BLAST-assigned taxa that showed increasing frequencies were mainly unculturable fungi, but some showed likely affinities to families Nectriaceae and Venturiaceae or to genus Pachnocybe. Although the ecological roles of the fungi in the deeper strata remain uncertain, we hypothesize that the fungi with preferences for deeper soil have adequate access to substrates and possess environmental tolerances that enable their persistence in those environments.     

Niche partitioning in arbuscular mycorrhizal communities in temperate grasslands: a lesson from adjacent serpentine and nonserpentine habitats

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) represent an important soil microbial group playing a fundamental role in many terrestrial ecosystems. We explored the effects of deterministic (soil characteristics, host plant life stage, neighbouring plant communities) and stochastic processes on AMF colonization, richness and community composition in roots of Knautia arvensis (Dipsacaceae) plants from three serpentine grasslands and adjacent nonserpentine sites. Methodically, the study was based on 454‐sequencing of the ITS region of rDNA. In total, we detected 81 molecular taxonomical operational units (MOTUs) belonging to the Glomeromycota. Serpentine character of the site negatively influenced AMF root colonization, similarly as higher Fe concentration. AMF MOTUs richness linearly increased along a pH gradient from 3.5 to 5.8. Contrary, K and Cr soil concentration had a negative influence on AMF MOTUs richness. We also detected a strong relation between neighbouring plant community composition and AMF MOTUs richness. Although spatial distance between the sampled sites (c. 0.3–3 km) contributed to structuring AMF communities in K. arvensis roots, environmental parameters were key factors in this respect. In particular, the composition of AMF communities was shaped by the complex of serpentine conditions, pH and available soil Ni concentration. The composition of AMF communities was also dependent on host plant life stage (vegetative vs. generative). Our study supports the dominance of deterministic factors in structuring AMF communities in heterogeneous environment composed of an edaphic mosaic of serpentine and nonserpentine soils.     

Fungi associated with rocks of the Atacama Desert: taxonomy,distribution, diversity,ecology and bioprospection for bioactive compounds

This study assessed the diversity of cultivable rock‐associated fungi from Atacama Desert. A total of 81 fungal isolates obtained were identified as 29 Ascomycota taxa by sequencing different regions of DNA. Cladosporium halotolerans, Penicillium chrysogenum and Penicillium cf. citrinum were the most frequent species, which occur at least in four different altitudes. The diversity and similarity indices ranged in the fungal communities across the latitudinal gradient. The Fisher‐α index displayed the higher values for the fungal communities obtained from the siltstone and fine matrix of pyroclastic rocks with finer grain size, which are more degraded. A total of 23 fungal extracts displayed activity against the different targets screened. The extract of P. chrysogenum afforded the compounds α‐linolenic acid and ergosterol endoperoxide, which were active against Cryptococcus neoformans and methicillin‐resistance Staphylococcus aureus respectively. Our study represents the first report of a new habitat of fungi associated with rocks of the Atacama Desert and indicated the presence of interesting fungal community, including species related with saprobes, parasite/pathogen and mycotoxigenic taxa. The geological characteristics of the rocks, associated with the presence of rich resident/resilient fungal communities suggests that the rocks may provide a favourable microenvironment fungal colonization, survival and dispersal in extreme conditions.     

Alien plants associate with widespread generalist arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal taxa: evidence from a continental‐scale study using massively parallel 454 sequencing

Aim The biogeography of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi is poorly understood, and consequently the potential of AM fungi to determine plant distribution has been largely overlooked. We aimed to describe AM fungal communities associating with a single host‐plant species across a wide geographical area, including the plant’s native, invasive and experimentally introduced ranges. We hypothesized that an alien AM plant associates primarily with the geographically widespread generalist AM fungal taxa present in a novel range. Location Europe, China. Methods We transplanted the palm Trachycarpus fortunei into nine European sites where it does not occur as a native species, into one site where it is naturalized (Switzerland), and into one glasshouse site. We harvested plant roots after two seasons. In addition, we sampled palms at three sites in the plant’s native range (China). Roots were subjected to DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 454 sequencing of AM fungal sequences. We analysed fungal communities with non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination and cluster analysis and studied the frequency of geographically widespread fungal taxa with log‐linear analysis. We compared fungal communities in the roots of the palm with those in resident plants at one site in the introduced range (Estonia) where natural AM fungal communities had previously been studied. Results We recorded a total of 73 AM fungal taxa. AM fungal communities in the native and introduced ranges differed from one another, while those in the invasive range contained taxa present in both other ranges. Geographically widespread AM fungal taxa were over‐represented in palm roots in all regions, but especially in the introduced range. At the Estonian site, the palm was colonized by the same community of widespread AM fungal taxa as associate with resident habitat‐generalist plants; by contrast, resident forest‐specialist plants were colonized by a diverse community of widespread and other AM fungal taxa. Main conclusions AM fungal communities in the native, invasive and experimentally introduced ranges varied in taxonomic composition and richness, but they shared a pool of geographically widespread, non‐host‐specific taxa that might support the invasion of a generalist alien plant. Our dataset provides the first geographical overview of AM taxon distributions obtained using a single host‐plant species.     

Comparisons of AM fungal spore communities with the same hosts but different soil chemistries over local and geographic scales

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are ubiquitous and ecologically important microbes in grasslands. Both the host plant species and soil properties have been suggested as potentially important factors structuring AM fungal communities based on studies within local field sites. However, characterizations of the communities in relation to both host plant identity and soil properties in natural plant communities across both local and broader geographic scales are rare. We examined the AM fungal spore communities associated with the same C₄ grasses in two Eastern serpentine grasslands, where soils have elevated heavy metals, and two Iowa tallgrass prairie sites. We compared AM fungal spore communities among host plants within each site, looked for correlations between fungal communities and local soil properties, and then compared communities among sites. Spore communities did not vary with host plant species or correlate with local soil chemical properties at any site. They did not differ between the two serpentine sites or between the two prairie sites, despite geographic separation, but they did differ between serpentine and prairie. Soil characteristics are suggested as a driving force because spore communities were strongly correlated with soil properties when data from all four sites are considered, but climatic differences might also play a role.     

Dynamics of bacterial and fungal communities on decaying salt marsh grass

Both bacteria and fungi play critical roles in decomposition processes in many natural environments, yet only rarely have they been studied as an integrated microbial community. Here we describe the bacterial and fungal assemblages associated with two decomposition stages of Spartina alterniflora detritus in a productive southeastern U.S. salt marsh. 16S rRNA genes and 18S-to-28S internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions were used to target the bacterial and ascomycete fungal communities, respectively, based on DNA sequence analysis of isolates and environmental clones and by using community fingerprinting based on terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis. Seven major bacterial taxa (six affiliated with the alpha-Proteobacteria and one with the Cytophagales) and four major fungal taxa were identified over five sample dates spanning 13 months. Fungal terminal restriction fragments (T-RFs) were informative at the species level; however, bacterial T-RFs frequently comprised a number of related genera. Amplicon abundances indicated that the salt marsh saprophyte communities have little-to-moderate variability spatially or with decomposition stage, but considerable variability temporally. However, the temporal variability could not be readily explained by either successional shifts or simple relationships with environmental factors. Significant correlations in abundance (both positive and negative) were found among dominant fungal and bacterial taxa that possibly indicate ecological interactions between decomposer organisms. Most associations involved one of four microbial taxa: two groups of bacteria affiliated with the alpha-Proteobacteria and two ascomycete fungi (Phaeosphaeria spartinicola and environmental isolate "4clt").     

Colonization,variability, and the use of substratum-filled trays for biomonitoring benthic communities

Sampling variability and colonization rate of introduced substrates (plastic trays filled with pebble and cobble) in two southwestern Virginia streams are described. Substrates were rapidly colonized by aquatic macroinvertebrates, but colonization rates differed between years, possibly due to annual variability in macroinvertebrate abundance. To examine the applicability of using these substrates for biomonitoring benthic communities, trays were placed at several locations in a river receiving power plant discharges. Only six samples were necessary to detect a 15%reduction in macroinvertebrate density and a 12% reduction in number of taxa at effluent sites. Benthic communities established on rock-filled trays and multiplate samplers collected from the same stations during the same period were compared. Although multiplate samplers were more variable than rock trays and were selective for different taxa, both substrate types showed significant differences in community parameters among locations. Rock trays at all sites were dominated by Cheumatopsyche sp., whereas chironomids were more abundant on multiplate samplers. The relative abundance of mayflies was reduced at the effluent site on both substrate types.     

Succession of microfungal communities on decaying leaves of Castanopsis fissa

A total of 38 fungal taxa were identified on senescent untreated and autoclaved Castanopsis fissa leaves during a 4-month study period. Seventy-six percent of the fungal genera found in this survey have not previously been recorded from Castanopsis. Frequency and time of occurrence of fungal taxa occurring on untreated senescent leaves were clustered into four groups when analyzed by cluster analysis, suggesting the replacement of microfungi in stages of succession on naturally senescent leaves. Autoclaved leaves revealed significantly different fungal communities, with only 26% of overlap with the natural ones and no clear patterns of replacement of fungal communities. Factors regulating the rates of decomposition are also discussed.     

Environmental filtering affects soil fungal community composition more than dispersal limitation at regional scales

The relative importance of dispersal limitation versus environmental filtering for community assembly has received much attention for macroorganisms. These processes have only recently been examined in microbial communities. Instead, microbial dispersal has mostly been measured as community composition change over space (i.e., distance decay). Here we directly examined fungal composition in airborne wind currents and soil fungal communities across a 40 000 km² regional landscape to determine if dispersal limitation or abiotic factors were structuring soil fungal communities. Over this landscape, neither airborne nor soil fungal communities exhibited compositional differences due to geographic distance. Airborne fungal communities shifted temporally while soil fungal communities were correlated with abiotic parameters. These patterns suggest that environmental filtering may have the largest influence on fungal regional community assembly in soils, especially for aerially dispersed fungal taxa. Furthermore, we found evidence that dispersal of fungal spores differs between fungal taxa and can be both a stochastic and deterministic process. The spatial range of soil fungal taxa was correlated with their average regional abundance across all sites, which may imply stochastic dispersal mechanisms. Nevertheless, spore volume was also negatively correlated with spatial range for some species. Smaller volume spores may be adapted to long-range dispersal, or establishment, suggesting that deterministic fungal traits may also influence fungal distributions. Fungal life-history traits may influence their distributions as well. Hypogeous fungal taxa exhibited high local abundance, but small spatial ranges, while epigeous fungal taxa had lower local abundance, but larger spatial ranges. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to directly sample air dispersal and soil fungal communities simultaneously across a regional landscape. We provide some of the first evidence that soil fungal communities are mostly assembled through environmental filtering and experience little dispersal limitation.     

Fungal diversity associated with hawaiian Drosophila host plants

Hawaiian Drosophila depend primarily, sometimes exclusively, on specific host plants for oviposition and larval development, and most specialize further on a particular decomposing part of that plant. Differences in fungal community between host plants and substrate types may establish the basis for host specificity in Hawaiian Drosophila. Fungi mediate decomposition, releasing plant micronutrients and volatiles that can indicate high quality substrates and serve as cues to stimulate oviposition. This study addresses major gaps in our knowledge by providing the first culture-free, DNA-based survey of fungal diversity associated with four ecologically important tree genera in the Hawaiian Islands. Three genera, Cheirodendron, Clermontia, and Pisonia, are important host plants for Drosophila. The fourth, Acacia, is not an important drosophilid host but is a dominant forest tree. We sampled fresh and rotting leaves from all four taxa, plus rotting stems from Clermontia and Pisonia. Based on sequences from the D1/D2 domain of the 26S rDNA gene, we identified by BLAST search representatives from 113 genera in 13 fungal classes. A total of 160 operational taxonomic units, defined on the basis of ≥97% genetic similarity, were identified in these samples, but sampling curves show this is an underestimate of the total fungal diversity present on these substrates. Shannon diversity indices ranged from 2.0 to 3.5 among the Hawaiian samples, a slight reduction compared to continental surveys. We detected very little sharing of fungal taxa among the substrates, and tests of community composition confirmed that the structure of the fungal community differed significantly among the substrates and host plants. Based on these results, we hypothesize that fungal community structure plays a central role in the establishment of host preference in the Hawaiian Drosophila radiation.     

Distribution and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in grapevines from production vineyards along the eastern Adriatic coast

The colonisation and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on roots of grapevines were investigated in production vineyards located along a 500-km-long stretch of karst along the coast of the Adriatic Sea. AMF communities on roots of grapevines were analysed using temporal temperature gel electrophoresis and sequencing of the 18S and internal transcribed spacer segments of the rDNA operon. The AMF colonisation of these grapevines roots was consistent along the whole of this east Adriatic karst region, at 64 to 82 % of fine roots. The comparison of the AMF communities on the roots of these grapevines showed that the fungal community associated with grapevine roots seems to be relatively stable, with inter-vineyard variability comparable to intra-vineyard variability. Some of the changes in the fungal communities were attributed to environmental factors (plant-available P) and location of the vineyard, although the latter could also have been influenced by an unmeasured environmental factor. A total of 27 taxa of fungi were identified, including taxa from Glomus group B, based on the sequencing of 18S rDNA. Sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer rDNA yielded 30 different fungal taxa, which comprised eight different Glomeromycota taxa, including Glomus sinuosum and Glomus indicum. To our knowledge, this is the first report of grapevine colonisation by G. indicum.