Progression of saproxylic fungal communities in fine woody debris in boreal forests of Oulanka, Finland, assessed by DNA metabarcoding

The dataset was generated using the novel MycoPins method, published by the authors in 2023, in which sterilised wooden pins were embedded beneath the forest litter and left to decompose for one year, while being periodically inspected. This innovative decomposition experiment was conducted at the Oulanka Research Station in Kuusamo, Northern Finland. As the first study in this region to investigate saproxylic fungi in fine woody debris (FWD) using MycoPins and DNA metabarcoding, it adds new knowledge to the fungal biodiversity data of the region. The resulting dataset of DNA-derived occurrences has been published through the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), offering valuable insights into fungal diversity across different stages of decomposition. Agaricomycetes, a class of fungi strongly associated with their hosts via ectomycorrhiza, was selected from the dataset for comparison with fungal datasets from neighbouring regions. Remarkably, the MycoPins method revealed a high proportion of unique Agaricomycetes taxa not captured in existing species checklists from GBIF.org. These findings highlight the study's contribution to advancing biodiversity assessment. The results demonstrate the potential of this approach to enhance our understanding of fungal community dynamics in boreal forest ecosystems.