Aeromycota of Barentsburg (Spitsbergen Archipelago) and Adjacent Territories

This article examines the anthropogenic impact on the composition and abundance of micromycetes in the aeromycota of the Spitsbergen archipelago using the example of the settlement of Barentsburg, coastal zone of the Greenland Sea (Cape Fineset), and at a considerable distance from the village (undisturbed tundra ecosystems). Aeromycota was studied in residential and public buildings, abandoned structures, and on the streets of the village. Samples for analysis were collected using a standard sampling device during the 2017 expedition to Svalbard. The biodiversity of fungi isolated from the air is described, the abundance of propagules is determined, and a comparison of these parameters is conducted between the surveyed habitats. A total of 48 micromycete species from various taxonomic and ecological groups are identified. The highest fungal abundances are recorded in the air of abandoned empty houses. Many species common in the soil are detected in samples taken from the streets and buildings. Most of them are also known to inhabit building materials and are opportunistic pathogens of humans. The abundance of micromycetes in the settlement is almost an order higher than in natural ecosystems. The phospholipase, proteolytic, amylolytic, cellulolytic, and hemolytic activities of fungal isolates, as well as their relationship to the temperature factor, are studied. Part of the isolates demonstrated high levels of all the activities studied. The high incidence of opportunistic fungi indicates the need to monitor the epidemiological situation in Barentsburg. The results indicate a significant contribution of anthropogenic invasion to the dissemination of micromycetes in Arctic coastal ecosystems, where human-associated species accumulate.