Microbial dynamics on decaying leaves in a temporary Moroccan river. I - Fungi

Abdellatif Maamri (1) , Eric Chauvet (2) , Hassan Chergui (3) , François Gourbière (4) , Eric Pattee (5)

1 Université Mohammed Premier [Oujda]
2 CESAC - Centre d'Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques Continentaux
3 Hydrobiologie et Ecologie Générale
4 LEM - Laboratoire d'Ecologie Microbienne - UMR 5557
5 Laboratoire d'Ecologie des Eaux Douces - LEED (Villeurbanne, France)

Monthly variations of fungal biomass and assemblages on leaves exposed to the air and submerged, of sporulation and specific richness in the water, and of cel- lulolytic activity in the leaves were investigated in a warm temporary river. The bio- mass of terrestrial fungi was relatively low in the dry air and cellulolytic activity also was low . During submersion, biomass and activity of the aquatic hyphomycetes were greater. The fungi were most active in spring when the water was flowing and when breakdown was fast. Complete exclusion of one fungal species on one leaf species, presumably by competition, was observed twice. From June onwards, though fungal biomass remained high, fungal diversity and activity decreased, and further decay was presumably due to other microorganisms. No major difference to the same processes in temperate permanent streams appeared except that initiation of the sequence was the onset of the aquatic phase and not deciduous leaf fall.

Mots clés: Fungi; Microbial dynamics on decaying leaves in a temporary Moroccan river. I

Domaines: Ecosystèmes; Mycologie

Abdellatif Maamri, Eric Chauvet, Hassan Chergui, François Gourbière, Eric Pattee. Microbial dynamics on decaying leaves in a temporary Moroccan river. I - Fungi. Archiv fur Hydrobiologie, 1998, 144 (1), pp.41-59. ⟨hal-01373979⟩