Do microclimatic conditions in two forest types on serpentine bedrock affect culturable microfungi in pine litter needles?

Abstract

Microfungi colonising coniferous needles in litter were intensively studied in previous decades, but forest stands on serpentine soils have been overlooked. Also, the effects of microclimatic conditions on fungal communities in coniferous litter are unknown. In our study, we aimed to characterise communities of culturable microfungi colonising pine litter needles collected from two types of Scots pine forest growing on serpentine bedrock, i.e