Fungal diversity within the phyllosphere of Pinus massoniana and the possible involvement of phyllospheric fungi in litter decomposition

Abstract Fungi play key roles in forest ecosystems and help to shape the forest’s diverse functions. However, little is known about the diversity of phyllospheric fungi or their possible relationships with fungal communities residing in different micro-environments of Pinus massoniana forests. We investigated seven different sample types: mature needles (NM), dead needles (ND), needles falling as litter (L), fermenting needles (F), humus (H), top soil (0–20 cm) (TS), and secondary soil (20–40 cm) (SS). These seven fungal communities were examined and compared with ITS amplicons using a high-throughput sequencing technique. A total of 1213 fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were obtained at a 97% sequence similarity level. Distinct fungal communities were associated with different sample types. A greater number of OTUs were present in both NM and F samples than those shared by both NM and TS samples, indicating that phyllospheric fungi may play crucial roles in litter decomposition. Sixty OTUs (the core microbiome) were found in all sample types, and they may probably play different ecological roles in different sample types. These findings extend our knowledge of the fungal diversity of the phyllosphere and its possible interactions with fungal communities found in distinct forest micro-habitats.