The phylogenetic position of the anamorphic genus Calcarisporiella was investigated. Three isolates of Calcarisporiella, including an authentic strain and a newly obtained isolate, were analyzed phylogenetically using rDNA sequences. The result indicated that Calcarisporiella, which was classified as an ascomycetous anamorph, is a member of Mucoromycotina. It formed an independent clade separated from the other known orders of this subphylum.

The altitudinal distribution of microfungi associated with Betula ermanii Cham. leaf litter was investigated on Mt. Rishiri (1719 m), northern Japan. Fallen leaves were collected at five sites of different altitudes (appoximately 300, 600, 900, 1200, and 1500 m above sea level) along a transect on the northern slope of Mt. Rishiri. A total of 35 species were isolated from Betula leaf litter of which 12 occurred frequently and were regarded as dominant microfungi. Species richness, diversity, and equitability of microfungal assemblages were lower at Site 1500 than at the other sites. Similarities in species composition were relatively high among Sites 300, 600, and 900, but similarities between these sites and sites at the higher altitudes (i.e., Sites 1200 and 1500) were relatively low. Similarity of species composition was relatively low between Sites 1200 and 1500. Cluster analysis showed that the 12 major microfungal species were classified into four groups according to their pattern of altitudinal distribution that peaked at Sites 600, 900, 1200, and 1500, respectively. These results suggest that the diversity and species composition of Betula microfungi are sensitive to environmental changes along the altitudinal transect on Mt. Rishiri, and this is especially so at the altitudes higher than approximately 1200 m. This implies that future environmental changes will have impacts on mountainous ecosystems through the changes in diversity and functional aspects of microfungal assemblages.

The aims of this study were to compare the fungal communities developing on cotton strips at three different altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau and to assess the environmental variables influencing them. Cotton strips that had been buried in soil for a year were sampled at three sites at different altitudes (4500, 4950 and 5200 m) located on a southeast-facing slope on the Nyainqentanglha Mountains near Damxung. The fungi on the cotton strips were isolated using a modified washing method. The decomposition abilities and colony growth properties of the major species cultured in pure-culture conditions were investigated and compared. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) was used to evaluate the relationships between fungal community composition and environmental variables (altitude, soil depth, soil water content [SWC], plant root mass and gravel content). A total of 24 species were isolated from the cotton strips, and 12 species occurred frequently and were regarded as major species. The number of fungal species was lower at the 4950-m altitude site than at the other two sites, indicating that not only altitude but also other factors affected the number of species present. All of the major species were able to decompose the cotton strips. In the CCA ordination, automatic forward selection revealed that altitude, SWC and plant root mass significantly affected fungal species composition. Our results suggest that species number and the composition of cellulolytic fungal communities are highly correlated with environmental variables as well as altitude in the alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.