Abstract
Biological particles suspended in the atmosphere have a crucial role in the dynamics of the biosphere underneath. Although much attention is paid for the chemical and physical properties of these particles, their biological taxonomic identity, which is relevant for ecological research, remains little studied. We took air samples at 300 meters above the forest in central Amazonia, in seven periods of 7 days, and used high-throughput DNA sequencing techniques to taxonomically identify airborne fungal and plant material. The use of a molecular identification technique improved taxonomic resolution when compared to morphological identification. This first appraisal of airborne diversity showed that fungal composition was strikingly different from what has been recorded in anthropogenic regions. For instance, basidiospores reached 30% of the OTUs instead of 3–5% as found in the literature; and the orders Capnodiales and Eurotiales—to which many allergenic fungi and crop pathogens belong—were much less frequently recorded than Pleosporales, Polyporales, and Agaricales. Plant OTUs corresponded mainly to Amazonian taxa frequently present in pollen records such as the genera Helicostilys and Cecropia and/or very abundant in the region such as Pourouma and Pouteria . The origin of extra-Amazonian plant material is unknown, but they belong to genera of predominantly wind-pollinated angiosperm families such as Poaceae and Betulaceae. Finally, the detection of two bryophyte genera feeds the debate about the role of long distance dispersal in the distribution of these plants.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
Molecular identification improved taxonomic resolution relative to morphological identification.
Verbatim
e0“The use of a molecular identification technique improved taxonomic resolution when compared to morphological identification”
e1“airborne fungal and plant material”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant OTUs mainly matched common Amazonian pollen taxa including Helicostilys and Cecropia.
Verbatim
e0“Plant OTUs corresponded mainly to Amazonian taxa frequently present in pollen records such as the genera Helicostilys and Cecropia”
Claim · model-written summary
Plant OTUs also matched abundant regional genera Pourouma and Pouteria.
- Outcome
- very abundant in the regione0
Pouteria
PouroumaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“very abundant in the region such as Pourouma and Pouteria”
Claim · model-written summary
Extra Amazonian plant material belonged to predominantly wind pollinated angiosperm families.
- Taxon
- Poaceae and BetulaceaeBetulaceaePoaceaee0
- Outcome
- genera of predominantly wind-pollinated angiosperm familiese0
- Qualifier
- origin of extra-Amazonian plant material is unknowne0
Verbatim
e0“The origin of extra-Amazonian plant material is unknown, but they belong to genera of predominantly wind-pollinated angiosperm families such as Poaceae and Betulaceae”
Claim · model-written summary
Two bryophyte genera were detected in airborne material.
Verbatim
e0“the detection of two bryophyte genera feeds the debate about the role of long distance dispersal in the distribution of these plants”