In: Sydowia 77, (2025): 219-230; ISSN 0082-0598, DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia77-2025-0219, Published online on December 17th, 2024

Glomeromycota on leaf litter: what we know and what we don’t know

Juliana Luiza Rocha de Lima*, Naasson Victor Laurentino de Oliveira, Patrícia Oliveira Fiuza & Bruno Tomio Goto

1 Programa de Pós-graduação em Sistemática e Evolução, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário, Lagoa Nova, CEP: 59078-970, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil
2 Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Biologia, Rua Barão de Jeremoabo, 668, Campus de Ondina, CEP: 40170-115, Salvador, Bahia, Brasil
* e-mail: limajuliana20@outlook.com

Lima J.L.R., Oliveira N.V.L., Fiuza P.O. & Goto B.T. (2025) Glomeromycota on leaf litter: what we know and what we don’t know – Sydowia 77: 219–230.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known as obligate symbionts of plant roots, but have been found colonizing leaf litter. Although they have no known saprobic abilities, they may be dependent on decomposers to carry out the degradation of organic matter and act in the transfer of nutrients to plants during decomposition. Studies with AMF in litter are scarce and have incipient information, mainly in relation to the AMF species that colonize litter, factors that drive this colonization and the role played. Some of this issue stems from challenges in morphologically recognizing these fungi and also in amplifying DNA from leaf tissue. In this context, the present study is the first effort to gather information about Glomeromycota in litter in Brazil. All together 39 studies were found documenting AMF in litter with 60 species reported in five orders, seven families and 14 genera, but only 34 species are from studies designed to collect litter for analysis, highlighting tropical regions. Litter quality and plant community are indicated as factors that drive AMF colonization in litter. Furthermore, the occurrence and distribution of Glomeromycota species in the litter, highlighting the glomerocarpic species, are documented.

Keywords: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, decomposing litter, diversity, glomerocarpic species.