Copper (Cu) is broadly toxic to microbiota and remains widely-used in the wood protection industry. Some fungi are naturally tolerant to Cu, which necessitates the use of co-biocides. To assess fungal Cu tolerance, we performed a functional and taxonomic experiment on fungi in adjacent hop-yard soils: one with long-term application of a Cu-based fungicide and one with no Cu applied. Total and available Cu were the soil properties that most strongly distinguished the two soils. The microbial communitypresent in soil with historical Cu-application was more efficient than the no Cu-applied soil community at degrading Cu-treated cellulose string, suggesting microbial Cu-tolerance. Finally, the soil fungal communities present in the two soils were substantially different, with the Cu-applied soils containing indicator taxa that may exhibit Cu tolerance. This study found significant functional and taxonomic differences between the soil fungal communities of hop-yard soils that did and did not receive long-term Cu fungicide applications. We plan to use a similar approach to explore fungal Cu tolerance in treated wood.
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