Spatiotemporal distribution of soil microfungi in "Evolution Canyon", Lower Nahal Oren, Mount Carmel, Israel

In the present study, quantitative and qualitative micromycete characterist ics, such as number of colony-forming units (CFU), species composition, spe cies richness. diversity level, and dominant groups of species, were examin ed both in space and over time on the slopes and valley bottom of the "Evol ution Canyon" (EC) microsite at Lower Nahal Oren, Mt. Carmel. Israel. A tot al of 166 micromycete species belonging to Deuteromycotina (142), Ascomycot ina (9), and Zygomycotina (15) were isolated. More species were found on th e south-facing slope (SFS) than on the north-facing slope (NFS) and the val ley bottom (VB); the SFS fungal community was also characterized by a highe r level of diversity (Shannon index, evenness). The greatest intra- and int erslope differences were found comparing sunny open niches with shady niche s under trees on the SFS: the dominance of Fusarium species and frequent oc currence of dark-colored micromycetes characterized sunny soils; Penicilliu m species dominated the micromycete community in shady soils las well as in soils of NFS), Micromycete quantity showed great spatiotemporal variations , from 10.700 to 281.000 CFU per gram dry soil. The most pronounced differe nces were observed on SFS and in the VB in autumn, between sunny and shady niches (4-10-fold difference). The results demonstrated a clear effect of e daphic and climatic conditions both on the spatial distribution of micromyc ete quantity and on the micromycete species composition.