“Diversity and environmental drivers of cultivable microfungal communities in Trans-Himalayan soils: Insights into ecological and functional roles”

“Diversity and environmental drivers of cultivable microfungal communities in Trans-Himalayan soils: Insights into ecological and functional roles” | Authorea try { document.documentElement.classList.add('js'); } catch (e) { } var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'G-8VDV14Y67G']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); Skip to main content Preprints Collections Wiley Open Research IET Open Research Ecological Society of Japan All Collections About About Authorea FAQs Contact Us Quick Search anywhere Search for preprint articles, keywords, etc. Search Search ADVANCED SEARCH SCROLL Ecological Research This is a preprint and has not been peer reviewed. Data may be preliminary. 12 May 2026 V1 Latest version Share on “Diversity and environmental drivers of cultivable microfungal communities in Trans-Himalayan soils: Insights into ecological and functional roles” Authors : Arjun Khajuria [email protected] , Tasir Iqbal [email protected] , and Dr. Skarma Nonzom 0000-0001-9372-7900 [email protected] Authors Info & Affiliations https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003127/v1 15 views 5 downloads Contents Abstract Information & Authors Metrics & Citations View Options References Figures Tables Media Share Abstract Cold-arid regions of the Trans-Himalaya are characterised by extreme climatic conditions, low soil organic matter and limited microbial diversity. Fungal communities in such environments play a crucial role in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, yet their diversity and ecological functions remain underexplored. This study investigates the diversity and distribution of soil fungal communities in the Trans-Himalayan region, focusing on two distinct high-altitude passes. We hypothesized that soil physicochemical properties significantly influence fungal community structure and functional potential in cold-arid ecosystems. A total of 68 microfungal species belonging to 27 identified and 4 unidentified genera were isolated from soil samples. Taxonomic analysis revealed that Ascomycota dominated the fungal communities, followed by Mucoromycota and Mortierellomycota. Soil physicochemical analyses indicated slightly to moderately alkaline conditions and sandy loam texture, with variations in moisture content, organic carbon and nutrient availability between sites. Rarefaction curves and diversity indices (Shannon, Simpson, Chao1) confirmed higher fungal richness and evenness in Fotu La sites (FS) compared to Namiki La sites (NS). Beta diversity analysis demonstrated significant compositional differences between sites, indicating that soil moisture, organic carbon and texture act as key environmental drivers regulating fungal community assembly. The dominance of key fungal genera such as Aspergillus, Penicillium and Alternaria suggests their active role in organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling, highlighting their ecological significance in maintaining soil functioning in extreme environments. These findings provide important insights into the ecological functioning of fungal communities in Trans-Himalayan soils and underscore the need for future functional and metagenomic investigations. Information & Authors Information Version history V1 Version 1 12 May 2026 Collection Ecological Research Keywords fungal diversity cold-arid regions Ladakh ecology soil parameters Authors Affiliations Arjun Khajuria [email protected] University of Jammu, Jammu, India View all articles by this author Tasir Iqbal [email protected] University of Jammu, Jammu, India View all articles by this author Dr. Skarma Nonzom 0000-0001-9372-7900 [email protected] University of Jammu, Jammu, India View all articles by this author Metrics & Citations Metrics Article Usage 15 views 5 downloads .FvxKWukQNSOunydq8rnd { width: 100px; } Citations Download citation Arjun Khajuria, Tasir Iqbal, Dr. Skarma Nonzom. “Diversity and environmental drivers of cultivable microfungal communities in Trans-Himalayan soils: Insights into ecological and functional roles”. Authorea . 12 May 2026. DOI: https://doi.org/10.22541/authorea.15003127/v1 If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download. For more information or tips please see 'Downloading to a citation manager' in the Help menu . Format Please select one from the list RIS (ProCite, Reference Manager) EndNote BibTex Medlars RefWorks Direct import Tips for downloading citations document.getElementById('citMgrHelpLink').addEventListener('click', function() { popupHelp(this.href); return false; }); $(".js__slcInclude").on("change", function(e){ if ($(this).val() == 'refworks') $('#direct').prop("checked", false); $('#direct').prop("disabled", ($(this).val() == 'refworks')); }); View Options View options PDF View PDF Figures Tables Media Share Share Share article link Copy Link Copied! Copying failed. 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