The general negative impact of forestry on wood-inhabiting fungal diversity is well recognized, yet the effect of forest naturalness is poorly disentangled among different fungal groups inhabiting ...dead wood of different tree species. We studied the relationship between forest naturalness, log characteristics and diversity of different fungal morpho-groups inhabiting large decaying logs of similar quality in spruce dominated boreal forests. We sampled all non-lichenized fruitbodies from birch, spruce, pine and aspen in 12 semi-natural forest sites of varying level of naturalness. The overall fungal community composition was mostly determined by host tree species. However, when assessing the relevance of the environmental variables separately for each tree species, the most important variable varied, naturalness being the most important explanatory variable for fungi inhabiting pine and aspen. More strikingly, the overall species richness increased as the forest naturalness increased, both at the site and log levels. At the site scale, the pattern was mostly driven by the discoid and pyrenoid morpho-groups inhabiting pine, whereas at the log scale, it was driven by pileate and resupinate morpho-groups inhabiting spruce. Although our study demonstrates that formerly managed protected forests serve as effective conservation areas for most wood-inhabiting fungal groups, it also shows that conservation planning and management should account for group- or host tree -specific responses.
The taxonomy of
Sistotremastrum
(Trechisporales, Basidiomycota) is revised based on morphology and DNA data. The genus is shown to be polyphyletic, and therefore it is split into two units—
...Sistotremastrum
s. str. and
Sertulicium
, gen. nov. (typified with
Corticium niveocremeum
).
Sistotremastrum
s. str. is retained for eleven species of which eight are described as new while
Sertulicium
encompasses at least six species, including one new to science. Both of these genera are only distantly related to other representatives of the Trechisporales. Additionally, a new poroid neotropical species,
Porpomyces abiens
(
Hydnodontaceae
), is described as morphologically similar to some members of
Sistotremastrum
s. str.
Background and aims - To date, Megalocystidium leucoxanthum, a corticioid fungus originally described from the Italian Alps, was considered as a widely distributed species inhabiting numerous ...angiosperm hosts in the northern hemisphere. Its specimens collected in
different geographic areas and from various host species revealed a high morphological variability and thus obfuscated differences from the closely related M. luridum. The objective of this study was to re-establish M. leucoxanthum based on newly collected and sequenced specimens
and clarify the identity of morphologically deviating collections previously ascribed to this species.
Material and methods - In total, 87 specimens of Megalocystidium spp. (including two historical types) were studied by morphological methods. Their phylogenetic
relations were investigated based on DNA sequences (nrITS, nrLSU, and tef1) of 29 specimens.
Key results - Based on morphological, ecological and DNA data, we showed M. leucoxanthum sensu typi is a rare species restricted to Alnus alnobetula
in subalpine and subarctic zones. Consequently, records from other hosts (mostly representatives of Salicaceae) belong to three other species, M. olens, M. perticatum, and M. salicis, described as new to science. The fourth newly introduced species, M. pellitum,
occurs on the same host tree as M. leucoxanthum but it can be separated from the latter due to distinctive morphological traits and DNA sequences. Additionally, Aleurodiscus diffissus is combined in Megalocystidium and the identity of M. luridum is clarified.
Driftwood is woody debris that is floating on the sea or brought onto the shore by the sea. It can have a natural origin but often it originates from human activities. Driftwood has a significant ...ecological role as a microhabitat for a large range of species. Dead‐wood‐associated aphyllophoroid fungi on driftwood have been studied rather little globally, and there are hardly any studies conducted in the Baltic Sea. We studied the diversity and ecology of polypores and corticioids growing on driftwood (man‐made logs) on the shores of the Finnish SW‐archipelago. In total, 394 driftwood logs were surveyed for visible fungal sporocarps. We found altogether 145 species (1023 records) of which approximately three‐fourths were corticioids. The driftwood logs hosted several rare and noteworthy species, such as one new corticioid species, 16 nationally rare species, and 40 new species to the region. The five most common species accounted for one‐third of all observations, whereas 82 species (11% of all records) were recorded only once or twice. Larger logs hosted, on average, more species compared to small‐diameter logs. The mean number of species increased significantly when comparing the logs in the first and the middle stages of decay. Our results show that driftwood logs can host a wide variety of species and they provide an important substrate for many dead‐wood‐associated fungi, including species of conservation concern and species with restricted ecological requirements. Driftwood hosted several species that have not been previously found in the archipelago forests, and the logs clearly enrich the fungal diversity in the area. Our results encourage to increase dead wood for fungi in coastal forests where it has been dramatically decreased as a result of strong hemeroby.
Taxonomy of
Basidiodendron caesiocinereum
complex is revised based on morphological and molecular methods (with the use of nc LSU rDNA, ITS and
TEF1
regions). The basidiospore ornamentation is ...justified as a key morphological character for the species recognition in the group. As redefined here,
B. caesiocinereum
is an angiosperm-dwelling species with smooth basidiospores.
Bourdotia cinerella
and
B. cinerella
var.
trachyspora
are proved to represent separate species with warted basidiospores; they are reintroduced as
Basidiodendron cinerellum
and
B. trachysporum
. Additionally, eight new species related to
B. caesiocinereum
are described based on material from Eurasia, North America and Africa, and identity of
B. spinosum
from Oceania is discussed.
Biogeographical and ecological knowledge of aphyllophoroid fungi has increased substantially after the publication of the Finnish aphyllophoroid checklist. In this paper, we describe the occurrence ...and distributions of both aphyllophoroid and heterobasidioid fungi in Finland. We introduce 13 species new to Finland: Hyphoderma lapponicum (Litsch.) Ryvarden, Mycostilla vermiformis (Berk. & Broome) Spirin & Malysheva, Proterochaete adusta (Burt) Spirin & V. Malysheva, Pseudotomentella alobata Svantesson, Pseudoxenasma verrucisporum K.H. Larss. & Hjortstam, Sistotrema subtrigonospermum D. P. Rogers, Spiculogloea minuta P. Roberts, Tomentella botryoides (Schwein.) Bourd. & Galz., Tomentella neobourdotii M.J. Larsen, Tomentella subtestacea Bourdot & Galzin, Tomentella subpilosa Litsch., Tulasnella anguifera P. Roberts, and Tulasnella interrogans P. Roberts. Proterochaete and Pseudoxenasma are new genera to Finland. We also present the record of Caudicicola gracilis Kotir., Kulju & Miettinen for only the second time globally. Furthermore, we present 115 new records (locations) of 53 rare or seldom collected species. In addition, we report 96 species considered new to a specific subzone of the boreal forest vegetation zone in Finland. The records contain notes on the substrata, and the ecology and distribution of nationally new species and are briefly discussed.
Knowledge of the Finnish aphyllophoroid funga has increased substantially in recent years. In this article, we present two species new to Finland: Spiculogloea subminuta Hauerslev and Typhula suecica ...I. Olariaga, G. Corriol, I. Salcedo & K. Hansen, and document Sistotrema luteoviride Kotir. & K.-H. Larss. for the third time globally. We also contribute 50 new records of 33 nationally rare species (with a maximum of ten previous records in Finland) and list 52 regionally new species, found for the first time in a certain subzone of the boreal vegetation zone in Finland. Each record is enclosed and contains notes on the substrate. Furthermore, the ecology of the nationally new species and the distribution of rare species are discussed.
A new polypore species,
Antrodia hyalina
, is described from Russia. It is morphologically similar to
Antrodia pulvinascens
, but differs in having annual, thinner and softer basidiocarps, solid ...skeletal hyphae, and cylindrical spores.
Antrodia leucaena
, originally described from China, is reported as new from Finland and Russia on
Populus tremula
.
Antrodia wangii
is regarded as a synonym of
A. bondartsevae
.
Aphyllophorales is an unnatural group of fungi, which are mainly wood decaying saprobes but also mycorrhizal or parasites, and are phylogenetically diverse. In this study we focused on polypores, ...corticioids and hydnaceous wood decayers with the common feature to form basidiocarps on woody substrates or litter. The checklist is mainly based on material collected during 2008–2010 in the Archipelago Sea National Park and its surrounding area in Southwest Finland. The aim of the study was biogeographical and ecological research of wood-inhabiting aphyllophorales and their habitats. We list 303 species from the study area. It is 40% of all known species (756) of the target groups recorded in Finland. Six species new to Finland were collected during the field work, which are already reported earlier. Our collections include 26 species, which can be defined as rare, with only five or less earlier records in Finland, and 18 species that are red-listed.