Tage der Biodiversität 2027

The European Alps are characterized by distinct seasonality, shifting environmental conditions, steep and exposed terrains, harbouring a wide variety of different ecosystems. However, the diversity and interactions of soil microbial communities from these Alpine environments are still underexplored.  Mortierellaceae, a family of filamentous fungi within the phylum Mortierellomycota, are omnipresent agents in the core-soil microbiome of Alpine habitats. Many members of this fungal group are psychrophilic or psychrotolerant, and grow under nutrient-depleted conditions, like glacier forefields. They are therefore supposed to enhance soil development in the earliest successional stages, because they contribute in the decomposition of organic material and thus to nutrient cycling. Moreover, they have been described as plant-growth enhancing organisms. Yet despite their relevance, a large proportion of the Mortierellaceae diversity is still unknown: novel genera and species from Alpine environments are discovered every year.

In this session, we examine the diversity and distribution of Mortierellaceae across the European Alps (Italy, Austria and Switzerland). The focus lies on the dynamic changes of soil community composition in different habitats (glacier forefields, Salix herbacea habitats, and Pinus cembra forests) along an elevational gradient. We further explore the potential role of recently discovered novel genera and their microbial interactions.