Biodiversity Study in Beech Forests
The Importance of Tinder Fungus for Biodiversity
Beech forests are a characteristic feature of Europe and provide habitats for numerous animal and plant species. Among the inhabitants of these forests, fungi play a particularly important role, first and foremost the tinder fungus (Formes formentarius). This fungus is an important wood decomposer and provides an important source of food and sustenance for a variety of arthropods. In many areas, the tinder fungus is threatened by deforestation and management activities.
Tinder sponge as a marker of biodiversity
In this study, the overall biodiversity within the tinder sponges was investigated. The beetle species were determined by specialists using classical methods, while the other animals were sent as mixed samples to us as DNA metabarcoding service providers. In this way, DNA analyses allowed us to generate comprehensive species lists for each sample. A total of 216 different arthropod species, i.e. arthropods, were detected in the tinder sponges. Of these, 71 beetle species were identified by specialists, while the remaining 145 species were identified by DNA metabarcoding.
Source: Friess, N., Müller, J. C., … Seibold, S. (2018). Arthropod communities in fungal fruitbodies are weakly structured by climate and biogeography across European beech forests. Diversity and Distributions, 25(5), 783–796. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12882
Unknown species detected
Some of the species detected by DNA metabarcoding were not yet digitally recorded in the "Catalogue of Life" (BOLD database). Therefore, accurate assignment to previously described species will be possible in the future when these species are added to the catalog. Data from DNA metabarcoding projects will thus become increasingly valuable and contribute to solving the current taxonomic crisis. The Europe-wide study shows the importance of tinder fungus as a livelihood for a variety of animals in beech forests. To maintain biodiversity in these forests, it is important to protect the tinder fungus and promote its reintroduction.
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