Microarthropods influence the composition of rhizospheric fungal communities by stimulating specific taxa

While only plant combination influenced the composition of the fungal communities by the main functional guilds (arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, endophytes, plant pathogens and saprotrophs), microarthropod presence had a significant effect on their taxonomic composition. Of the more abundant fungal genera (over 1% community share), microarthropods approximately doubled the relative abundances of five (Cadophora, Exophiala, Truncatella, Meliniomyces, Trichosporon), and significantly increased the absolute abundances of four. In contrast, only one genus (Inocybe) was significantly suppressed by the microarthropods. The genera belonged to all the main functional guilds except arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Tolerance to mechanical disturbance, dispersion in soil or response to low intensity grazing are suggested as mechanisms behind the observed stimulation of some fungal taxa.