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Airborne fungal spore concentrations double but diversity decreases with warmer winter temperatures in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot

Mantoani, Maurício C. ; Sapucci, Camila Ribeiro ; Guerra, Lara C.C. ; Andrade, Maria F. ; Dias, Maria A.F.S. ; Dias, Pedro L.S. ; Albrecht, Rachel Ifanger ; Silva, Evandro Pereira ; Rodrigues, Fábio and Araujo, Gabriel G. , et al. (2025) In Microbe (Netherlands) 7.
Abstract

Whilst research on climatic effects on fungal populations and communities (particularly of soil and litter-specialised species) has been done extensively, empirical examples of the impacts of climate change on airborne fungi are still lacking. Using a hot-air balloon to sample fungal spores during the winters of 2022 and 2023, here, we show the effects of warmer winter temperatures on airborne fungi in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. An increase of 1.36 and 1.85 °C in mean maximum and minimum winter temperatures of 2023 more than doubled the concentration of fungal spores in comparison to 2022, at the same time it did not affect the number of fungal species. Thus, there was a reduction in the diversity (Shannon Index... (More)

Whilst research on climatic effects on fungal populations and communities (particularly of soil and litter-specialised species) has been done extensively, empirical examples of the impacts of climate change on airborne fungi are still lacking. Using a hot-air balloon to sample fungal spores during the winters of 2022 and 2023, here, we show the effects of warmer winter temperatures on airborne fungi in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. An increase of 1.36 and 1.85 °C in mean maximum and minimum winter temperatures of 2023 more than doubled the concentration of fungal spores in comparison to 2022, at the same time it did not affect the number of fungal species. Thus, there was a reduction in the diversity (Shannon Index – H’) of fungi in the atmosphere. Cladosporium sp. ranked in first, comprising 61 % of all spores collected and other important plant pathogens such as Epicoccum sp., Pithomyces sp., and Spegazzinia sp. had an increase in concentration of more than 4-fold with the warmer temperatures of 2023. Our results demonstrate how higher winter temperatures might impact fungal aerosols, suggesting that an increase in plant pathogens pressure is expected in a warmer world, with unknown consequences for climate regulation, crop production and the provision of ecosystem services.

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type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cladosporium sp., Climate change, Ice nucleation, PBAPs, Plant pathogens
in
Microbe (Netherlands)
volume
7
article number
100300
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105000257821
DOI
10.1016/j.microb.2025.100300
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b6d0ee74-344a-4495-8dd3-9c026a761077
date added to LUP
2026-01-12 12:34:10
date last changed
2026-01-13 02:16:39
@article{b6d0ee74-344a-4495-8dd3-9c026a761077,
  abstract     = {{<p>Whilst research on climatic effects on fungal populations and communities (particularly of soil and litter-specialised species) has been done extensively, empirical examples of the impacts of climate change on airborne fungi are still lacking. Using a hot-air balloon to sample fungal spores during the winters of 2022 and 2023, here, we show the effects of warmer winter temperatures on airborne fungi in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. An increase of 1.36 and 1.85 °C in mean maximum and minimum winter temperatures of 2023 more than doubled the concentration of fungal spores in comparison to 2022, at the same time it did not affect the number of fungal species. Thus, there was a reduction in the diversity (Shannon Index – H’) of fungi in the atmosphere. Cladosporium sp. ranked in first, comprising 61 % of all spores collected and other important plant pathogens such as Epicoccum sp., Pithomyces sp., and Spegazzinia sp. had an increase in concentration of more than 4-fold with the warmer temperatures of 2023. Our results demonstrate how higher winter temperatures might impact fungal aerosols, suggesting that an increase in plant pathogens pressure is expected in a warmer world, with unknown consequences for climate regulation, crop production and the provision of ecosystem services.</p>}},
  author       = {{Mantoani, Maurício C. and Sapucci, Camila Ribeiro and Guerra, Lara C.C. and Andrade, Maria F. and Dias, Maria A.F.S. and Dias, Pedro L.S. and Albrecht, Rachel Ifanger and Silva, Evandro Pereira and Rodrigues, Fábio and Araujo, Gabriel G. and Galante, Douglas and Silva, Dulcilena M.C. and Martins, Jorge A. and Martins, Leila Droprinchinski and Boschilia, Solana M. and Phillips, Vaughan T.J. and Carotenuto, Federico and Šantl-Temkiv, Tina and Morris, Cindy E. and Gonçalves, Fábio L.T.}},
  keywords     = {{Cladosporium sp.; Climate change; Ice nucleation; PBAPs; Plant pathogens}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Microbe (Netherlands)}},
  title        = {{Airborne fungal spore concentrations double but diversity decreases with warmer winter temperatures in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.microb.2025.100300}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.microb.2025.100300}},
  volume       = {{7}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}