Effects of Wood Biomass Combustion Residues on the Structure, Diversity, and Trophic Functions of Soil Fungi

Substances derived from the combustion of Carpinus betulus and Salix viminalis wood may have the potential to selectively modulate the structure and diversity of soil fungi. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate their effects on the structure and diversity of the mycobiome, the physicochemical and thermodynamic properties of proteins, and the biomass of Zea mays. The pot experiment was conducted for 60 days on Eutric Cambisols soil developed from sandy loam (pH_KCl = 4.37). Changes in the taxonomic profile of fungi were analyzed using the ITS region sequencing. Ascomycota dominated the control soil, while the addition of substances from the combustion of S. viminalis reduced their relative abundance, and C. betulus increased it. The growth of fungi of the genera Penicillium, Fusarium, Fusicolla, Chaetomium, and Mortierella was inhibited, whereas Iodophanus was stimulated by both additives. The abundance of Vishniacozyma spp. decreased after the addition of C. betulus and increased after the addition of S. viminalis. The most thermodynamically stable proteins were observed in the genera Fusarium and Penicillium, and the least stable in Mortierella and Vishniacozyma. Substances derived from tree biomass combustion significantly altered the diversity and evenness of fungal communities and exerted an inhibitory effect on both above-ground and root biomass of plants. These results suggest that the presence of these substances in the soil influences the structure and functional activity of fungi.