Local climate, air quality and leaf litter cover shape foliar fungal communities on an urban tree

Abstract

Foliar fungi on urban trees are important for tree health, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Yet, we lack insights into how urbanization influences foliar fungal communities. We created detailed maps of Stockholm region’s climate and air quality and characterized foliar fungi from mature oaks (Quercus robur) across climatic, air quality and local habitat gradients. Fungal richness was higher in locations with high growing season relative humidity, and fungal community composition was structured by growing season maximum temperature, NO₂ concentration and leaf litter cover. The relative abundance of mycoparasites and endophytes increased with temperature. The relative abundance of pathogens was lowest with high concentrations of NO₂ and particulate matter (PM_2.5), while saprotrophs increased with leaf litter cover. Our findings show that urbanization influences foliar fungi, providing insights for developing management guidelines to promote tree health, prevent disease outbreaks and maintain biodiversity within urban landscapes.