Changes in structure and function of fungal community in cow manure composting

•Fungal carbon utilization ability was observed in composting process.•Mycothermus was the dominant fungal genus in cow manure composting.•Effect of oxidation reduction potential on fungal succession was significant.•Composting had a significant effect on fungal communities and trophic modes. In this study, dynamic changes in fungal communities, trophic modes and effect factors in 60 days composting of cow manure were analyzed by using high throughput sequencing, FUNGuild and Biolog FF MicroPlate, respectively. Orpinomyces (relative abundance >10.85%) predominated in feedstock, and Mycothermus became the dominating genus (relative abundance >75%) during the active phase. Aerobic composting treatment had a significant effect on fungal trophic modes with pathogenic fungi fading away and wood saprotrophs increasing over composting time. Fungal communities had the higher carbon sources utilization capabilities at the thermophilic phase and mature phase than those in the other periods. Oxidation reduction potential (ORP) significantly increased from −180 to 180 mV during the treatment. Redundancy analysis showed that the succession of fungal community during composting had a significant association with ORP (p