Genetic Studies Point to Beringia as a Biodiversity Hotspot for High-latitude Fungi

• Main Authors: József Geml, Frank Kauff, Gary A. Laursen, D. Lee Taylor
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arctic; Alaska; Beringia; Siberia
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.420.2808; http://www.lter.uaf.edu/pdf/1467_Geml_Kauff_2010.pdf

Despite the critical roles fungi play in the functioning of ecosystems, especially as symbionts of plants and recyclers of organic matter, their biodiversity is poorly known in high-latitude regions. Among these, Beringia, including Alaska and north-eastern Siberia, has long been a focal point for biogeographical research in a wide range of plant and animal taxa. However, the biodiversity and biogeography of fungi in Beringia are virtually unknown. We analyzed DNA sequence data from various boreal and arctic macrofungi using phylogenetic and coalescent methods to assess the genetic diversity at the species and intraspecific levels. Our results suggest that Beringia, particularly Alaska, harbors very diverse fungal communities and that most arctic and at least some boreal fungal taxa survived the last glacial maximum in Beringia.