Surveying the Distribution and Diversity of Predominant Mycobiota in Cultivated and Uncultivated Soils of Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47430/ujmr.2493.048Keywords:
Distribution, Diversity, Mycobiota, Soil healthAbstract
Study’s Novelty/Excerpt
- This study presents a comprehensive survey of the distribution and diversity of soil fungi in cultivated and uncultivated soils of Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria, highlighting their morphological and microscopic characteristics, frequency, and relationship with physicochemical properties.
- It identifies and quantifies the presence of eight different fungal species, with Aspergillus niger being the most dominant, providing critical insights into the fungal biodiversity of this region.
- Additionally, the study correlates the richness of soil mycobiota with specific soil properties such as pH, organic matter content, and moisture levels, suggesting that these factors significantly influence fungal diversity and distribution, and recommending further research to assess their impact on soil productivity.
Full Abstract
Soil fungi are a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems, playing a vital role as decomposers in nutrient cycles. The diversity of soil fungi serves as an indicator of soil health (favorable/deficient). Understanding soil biodiversity and its biological functioning will help not only in crop yields but also in a healthier society as it directly or indirectly enters the food chain. This study aimed at surveying the distribution and diversity of predominant mycobiota in cultivated and uncultivated soils of Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria. Focusing on their morphological and microscopic characteristics, percentage frequency, and relationship with physicochemical properties. After removing the surface soil, soil samples were randomly collected from two locations at 0-15 cm depths. Fungi were isolated via the dilution method on PDA. Previously established criteria were used to identify eight different fungal species: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Fusarium spp., Mucor spp., Penicillium spp., Rhizopus spp., and Trichoderma spp. Aspergillus niger was the most dominant species, with a relative frequency of 26%, followed by Fusarium spp. and Rhizopus spp. With 18% and 17%, respectively. Aspergillus fumigatus was the least abundant (2%). The highest fungal isolation frequency (32%) was observed in L1 cultivated soil, closely followed by L2 uncultivated soil (31%), with the lowest in L2 uncultivated soil (16%). Physicochemical analysis indicated that these soils are rich in mycobiota, attributed to a basic pH range of 7.12-9.15, high organic matter content, and optimal moisture levels. Soils with significant organic matter due to litter accumulation, moist deciduous vegetation, and neutral to alkaline pH levels retain considerable moisture content, fostering a rich qualitative and quantitative mycobiota for recycling dead organic matter making nutrients available for suitable utilization. Further research is recommended to evaluate the impact of these isolated fungi on soil productivity, to determine whether their presence has a positive or negative effect.
Downloads
References
Andrews, S., & Pitt, J. I. (1986). Fungal growth media. In A. D. King Jr., J. I. Pitt, L. R. Beuchat, & J. E. L. Corry (Eds.), Methods for the mycological examination of food (pp. 81-100). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-3488-7_5
Aziz, N. H., & Zainol, N. (2018). Isolation and identification of soil fungi isolate from forest soil flooded soil recovery. Material Science and Engineering, 342, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899x/342/1/012028
Choi, Y. W., Hyde, K. D., & Ho, W. H. (1999). Single spore isolation of fungi. Fungal Diversity, 3, 29-38.
Dimkpa, S. O. N., &Orikoha, E. C. (2021). Isolation and identification of some fungi and bacteria in soils colonized by edible wild mushroom Agaricus silvaticus G. J. Kiezer in Rivers State, Nigeria. European Journal of Agriculture and Forestry Research, 9(2), 26-37.
Dong, A. R., Lv, G. Z., Wu, Q. Y., Song, R. Q., & Song, F. Q. (2004). Diversity of soil fungi in Liangshui natural reserve, Xiaoxing’anling forest region. Journal of Northeast Forestry University, 32(1), 8-10.
Gaddeyya, G., Niharika, P. S., Bharathi, P., & Kumar, P. R. (2012). Isolation and identification of soil mycoflora in different crop fields at Salur Mandal. Advances in Applied Science Research, 3(4), 2020-2026.
Gams, W., & Samson, R. A. (2013). Fungal biodiversity in soils: Exploration and characterization. Springer.
Gardi, C., & Jeffery, S. (2009). Soil biodiversity. Office for Official Publications of the
Hemanth, J., et al. (2015). Relative influence of insecticides on colony forming units (CFUs). Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 50(1), 34-41.
Karki, G. (2020). Isolation and identification of fungi from soil and clinical specimens. Online Biology Notes.
Labeda, D. P. (1996). DNA relatedness among vertical forming Streptomyces species (formerly streptoverticilium species). International Journal of Systemic Bacteriology, 46, 699-703. https://doi.org/10.1099/00207713-46-3-699
Lavelle, P., Blanchart, E., Martin, A., Martin, S., Spain, A., & Toutain, F. (2006). A hierarchical model for decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems: Application to soils of the humid tropics.Biotropica, 25(2), 130-150. https://doi.org/10.2307/2389178
Ojanuga, A. G. (2006). Management of Nigerian soils: Past, present and future. Nigeria Journal of Soil Science, 16(1), 1-9.
Ojeniyi, S. O. (2018). Soil fertility in Nigeria: The concepts and management strategies. Nigerian Journal of Agriculture, 2(1), 45-52.
Orgiazzi, A., Lumini, E., Nilsson, R. H., Girlanda, M., & Vizzini, A. (2012). Unravelling soil fungal communities from different Mediterranean land use backgrounds. PLoS One, 7(4), e34847. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0034847
Raja, M., Praveena, G., & John, W. S. (2017). Isolation and identification of fungi from soil in Loyola College Campus, Chennai, India. International Journal of Microbiology and Applied Sciences, 6(2), 1789-1795. https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2017.602.202
Rajendran, K. V., Shivam, S., Praveena, E. P., Rajan, J. S., Kumar, T. S., Avunje, S., Jagadeesan, V., Prasad Babu, S. V. A. N. V., Pande, A., Krishnan, A. N., Alavandi, S. V., & Vijayan, K. K. (2016). Emergence of Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) in farmed Penaeus (Litopenaeus) vannamei in India. Aquaculture, 454, 272-280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2015.12.034
Ratna-Kumar, P. K., Hemanth, G. P., Shiny, N., & Samuel, K. K. (2015). Isolation and identification of soil mycoflora in agricultural fields of Tekkali Mandal Srikakulum district. International Journal of Advanced Pharmacology, 14(2), 484-490.
Rohilla, S. K., & Solari, J. A. (2012). Impact of pesticides on soil microorganisms and bioremediation. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B, 47, 387-395.
Saravanakumar, K., & Kaviyarasan, V. (2010). Seasonal distribution of soil fungi and chemical properties of montane wet temperate forest types of Tamil Nadu. African Journal of Plant Science, 4(6), 190-196. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJPS10.006
Schoenholtz, S. H., Van Miegroet, H., & Burger, J. A. (2000). A review of chemical and physical properties as indicators of forest soil quality: Challenges and opportunities. Forest Ecology and Management, 138(1-3), 335-356. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(00)00423-0
Seifert, K. A. (1992). Isolation of filamentous fungi. In D. P. Labeda (Ed.), Isolation of biotechnological organisms from nature (pp. 21-51). McGraw-Hill.
Stefanis, C., Alexopoulos, A., Voidarou, C., Vavias, S., &Bezirtzoglou, E. (2013). Principal methods for isolation and identification of soil microbial communities. Folia Microbiologica. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12223-013-0258-2
Suhang, P. (2016). New and noteworthy lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi. The Lichenologist, 48(4), 291-301. doi: 10.1017/S0024282916000266
Sun, J., Zhang, J., & Xu, Y. (2005). Solution structure of Kti11p from Saccharomyces cerevisiae reveals a novel zinc-binding module. Biochemistry, 44(24), 8801-8809. https://doi.org/10.1021/bi0504714
Waksman, S. A. (1922). A method of counting the number of fungi in soil. Journal of Bacteriology, 7(3), 339-341. https://doi.org/10.1128/jb.7.3.339-341.1922
Wall, D. H., Bardgett, R., & Behan-Pelletier, V. (2012). Soil ecology and ecosystem services. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199575923.001.0001
Zifeakova, L., Vetrovsky, T., Howe, A., & Baldrian, P. (2016). Microbial activity in forest soil reflects the changes in ecosystem properties between summer and winter. Environmental Microbiology, 18(1), 288-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.13026
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 UMYU Journal of Microbiology Research (UJMR)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
