A Year-Round Outdoor Aeromycological Study in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

The outdoor aeromycota was studied in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada throughout 1992. The dominant outdoor airborne fungal genera and groups recorded on 58 sampling dates were Cladosporium (41.0%), unidentified basidiospores (12.1%), unidentified spores (8.5%), Ganoderma (7.2%), unidentified ascospores (5.3%), Leptosphaeria (5.3%), Coprinaceae (5.0%), hyphal fragments (4.9%), Aspergillus/Penicillium (3.8%), Alternaria (1.8%), and Epicoccum (1.3%). Most common outdoor genera showed distinct diumal periodicities from May to October, with the exception of Aspergillus/Penicillium. Most hyphomycetes displayed daytime peaks, except for Aspergillus/Penicillium. Ascospores of Leptosphaeria had morning peaks, and basidiospores of Ganoderma and Coprinaceae had early morning patterns. Most common outdoor genera, except for Aspergillus/Penicillium, also displayed well defined seasonal patterns, with peak periods between May and October.