A survey of the soil microfungi in the A horizons of soils taken from four sites (deciduous forest, cedar forest, old field, and alfalfa field) in Central Ontario at three times (May, June, and August) in one year was conducted to determine habitat and temporal differences of fungal assemblages. Approximately 70 species of fungi were identified. In all habitats, species in the genera Penicillium, Acremonium, Talaromyces, Cladosporium, Cunninghamella, and Paecilomyces were isolated most frequently. Cedar forest soils showed the lowest species turnover with time, and Aspergillus fumigatus (Fres.) was consistently one of the most abundant species throughout the sampling period. Total fungal abundance increased over the sampling period in cedar forest soils, a trend not observed in deciduous forest soils. Fungal abundance, as well as the total number of species, in soils from the alfalfa field and old field sites decreased in August. Narrow-amplitude, broad-amplitude, and occasional species were characterized. Results are discussed with reference to the biotic and abiotic factors that may influence fungal occurrence and abundance.
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Keller et al. (1998) studied this question.