Fungal Community Dynamics in Compost

This study provides an in-depth assessment of fungal community dynamics in composting systems across two Bulgarian sites, Harmanli and Yasno Pole, during thermophilic and mesophilic phases. By leveraging high-throughput ITS amplicon sequencing, we demonstrated that both the composting phase and geographic location significantly influence the richness, evenness, and taxonomic structure of eukaryotic microbial communities. Mesophilic stages, particularly at the Yasno Pole site, supported greater fungal diversity and evenness, suggesting a broader ecological niche and more favourable conditions for fungal proliferation. In contrast, thermophilic phases, especially at Harmanli, were characterised by reduced diversity and dominance of heat-adapted taxa, reflecting strong environmental selection.