SPECIES DIVERSITY OF SOIL MICROMYCETES IN TWO CONTRASTING SOILS AT THE TABIGHA MICROSITE (ISRAEL)

Soil micromycetes of one microsite at Tabigha, north of the Sea of Galilee in Israel, were collected and characterized according to soil types. The microsite has two distinct rock and soil types, limestone weathering into terra rossa soil and basalt flows weathering into basalt soil. Plant formations vary according to the soil types, and the current study investigated the association of the two soil types with the populations of microfungi inhabiting the soil. We found 47 species belonging to 23genera, 3 classes, and 2 subdivisions. Fungal-specific associations with the two soil types were also recorded, particularly with representative species of the genus Fusarium. The low Jaccard (0.195) and Dice (0.321) similarity indices indicate substantial microsite soil divergence in the population makeup and quantity of soilmicromycetes.