European mushroom assemblages are darker in cold climates

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Mycology
• Climate Science

Background:

• Thermal melanism theory suggests dark colors benefit ectotherms in cold climates.
• The role of fungal coloration, particularly in mushrooms, remains largely unexplored.
• Fungi are crucial for terrestrial ecosystem functions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between mushroom color lightness and climate across Europe.
• To test the applicability of thermal melanism theory to the fungal kingdom.
• To explore color variations based on fungal lifestyles and seasonality.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of a large dataset comprising 3.2 million observations of 3,054 fungal species.
• Geographical mapping of mushroom color lightness across European climates.
• Statistical analysis to correlate color phenotypes with climatic variables and fungal lifestyles.

Main Results:

• Mushroom assemblages are significantly darker in colder climatic regions.
• Significant differences in color phenotypes were observed between various fungal lifestyles.
• Fungal lifestyles exhibited distinct responses to seasonal climate variations.

Conclusions:

• Fungal coloration, like in ectotherms, appears influenced by thermal adaptation.
• Mushroom color plays a complex ecological role, potentially beyond thermoregulation.
• Understanding these links is vital for predicting ecosystem impacts of global warming.