Spatiotemporal drivers of airborne forest fungal spore flora in a Japanese temperate forest

Fungal spores are key drivers of atmospheric biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem function, yet the relative importance of environmental filtering versus dispersal limitation in structuring airborne fungal metacommunities remains poorly resolved, particularly across vertical gradients and fine-scale temporal scales. This knowledge gap limits our ability to predict how shifting climate conditions will alter fungal bioaerosol patterns globally. Our study directly addresses this gap with empirically rigorous data and mechanistic insights.