Author
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Klich, Maren |
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Submitted to: Mycologia
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Publication Acceptance Date: 5/25/2001 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Aspergillus is a large genus of economically important fungi. Since many of them produce toxins or cause disease directly in humans and animals, it is important to know where these fungi occur in nature. In this study, data from a large number of published reports was analyzed statistically to provide information on occurrence of 52 of the common Aspergillus species in soils and litter. This is the first 'meta-analysis' of its kind for this genus and will provide researchers and medical personnel with information on where these fungi occur. Technical Abstract: Based on counts of Aspergillus species reported in over 250 studies of microfungi from soils and litter, chi-square analyses were conducted on species occurrence in five biomes and five latitude ranges to determine variations from expected distributions. There was no overall trend in distribution of the members of the entire genus by biome, however, individual sections of the genus appeared to have distinct distribution patterns. Most members of sections Aspergillus, Nidulantes, Flavipedes, and Circumdati occurred at greater than expected frequencies in desert soils. There was no distinct pattern of species occurrence for forest, wetland, or cultivated soils, although members of section Nidulantes were quite rare in cultivated soils. Most species occurred at or below expected frequencies in grassland soils. Members of the genus tended to occur at greater than expected frequencies at latitudes in the subtropical/warm temperate zone between 26 and 35 degrees. Most species occurred at expected frequencies in the lower latitudes, and below expected frequencies in latitudes greater than 35 degrees. |
