Soil Fungi Diversity and Abundance in Limed and Unlimed Areas Contaminated With Metals in the Greater Sudbury Region.

present study aimed at assessing fungi diversity and their abundance in metal contaminated limed and adjacent unlimed areas  in the Northern Ontario (Canada) Soil samples were collected from the top soil layer in different metal contaminated and uncontaminated sites.  Fungi were isolated and characterized from soil samples using the soil dilution method and the Sabouraud Dextrose Agar (SDA) and Malt Extract Agar (MEA).  A total of 34 fungi species belonging to 23 genera were identified.  The most common species found were: Cryptococcus neoformans, Mycoderma aceiti, Penicillium fellutanum, Rhizopus stolonifer, Sporotrichum schenkii, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton tonsurans.  The present study revealed higher species diversity in samples from limed areas compared to those from unlimed sites based on growth on the SDA medium. In general, fungi abundance followed the same trend.  Analysis of microbial activity is in process to determine the relationship between microbial diversity/abundance and  function.