Following the spores: insights from mosses, pollen traps, and dung into coprophilous fungal spore deposition

Spores of coprophilous fungi (CFS) are widely used in paleoecology as indicators of past herbivore presence, but the processes governing their deposition, retention, and preservation remain insufficiently understood. While most studies rely on sedimentary archives, few have examined how different modern substrates vary in their ability to capture dung fungal spores. This study compares CFS composition and abundance in moss polsters, Tauber-type traps, and dung samples from four ungulate species in European lowland forests, aiming to assess their effectiveness as modern analogs for paleoecological reconstructions. Moss samples exhibited the highest taxonomic diversity of CFS, suggesting they act as passive spore traps, accumulating propagules over extended periods. Dung samples contained the highest concentration of CFS, providing a baseline for understanding fungal community composition in relation to direct spore production sites. Tauber-type traps showed the lowest CFS proportion, highlighting the limited role of long-distance airborne dispersal for most taxa. Despite these differences, statistical analyses revealed weak and non-significant correlations between CFS abundance and environmental variables (coarse woody debris, wetness, openness, ungulate pressure, and forest management intensity), suggesting that factors such as dung decomposition rates and stochastic deposition processes may play a greater role. These findings indicate that CFS assemblages are shaped more by substrate-specific properties and microhabitat variation than by broad environmental gradients. From a paleoecological perspective, the presence of CFS in moss-derived archives may reflect cumulative, long-term deposition rather than contemporaneous herbivore presence. This study emphasizes the need for caution when interpreting CFS signals and supports the integration of multiple modern analogues to refine reconstructions of past herbivore dynamics.