Monjardino, P., Azevedo, A. R., Mendonça, D., Pozsgai, G., Borges, P. A. V., Frias, J., & Toubarro, D. (2025). Metagenomic Survey of Compost Fungi from Terceira (Azores Archipelago). Version 1.0. Universidade dos Açores. Occurrence dataset. DOI: 10.15468/nmpzwr.
Understanding the microbiome composition in compost is essential for elucidating how the process develops and how it can be improved. Compost samples were collected at the early and late thermophilic stages and at the mid-cooling and maturation stages, and their microbiomes were characterized using a shotgun metagenomic sequencing approach. Within Eukarya, only the kingdom Fungi was detected: nine phyla, 48 classes, 105 orders, 230 families, 417 genera, and 578 species (87.18% of all 663 taxa). <a name="_Hlk209112295">The genus Aspergillus showed the highest estimated relative taxon abundance (17.93%), and this dominance was reflected at higher taxonomic ranks as well: phylum Ascomycota (60.80%), class Eurotiomycetes (24.12%), order Eurotiales (22.77%), and family Aspergillaceae (19.07%).</a>The inferred metabolic or ecological roles of the identified taxa during composting included: (i) decomposers and nutrient cyclers; (ii) biocontrol and cellulolytic fungi; (iii) yeasts and opportunistic fungi; (iv) microsporidia and chytrids associated with aquatic or anaerobic niches; and (v) mycorrhizal fungi.
