Fungal communities on standing litter are structured by moisture type and constrain decomposition in a hyper-arid grassland

We assessed the fungal communities on standing dead litter of Stipagrostis sabulicola (Poaceae) at two sites in the Namib Desert, Namibia to determine whether the communities differed between a site primarily supported by rainfall and one supported by non-rainfall moisture (fog, dew, water vapor). We used a reciprocal transplant design, examining both native and transplanted litter. We also used both recently senesced stems with relatively low fungal loads and heavily degraded stems with extensive fungal growth. Finally, to assess the role that airborne fungi play in colonizing standing litter, we deployed autoclaved stems as "bait" to allow them spores to settle and establish. Each stem was left in the field for one year and then sequenced on an Illumina platform.