Fungal communities on decaying saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) in Buenos Aires province (Argentina)

Elíades, L. A., Voget, C. E., Arambarri, A. M. & Cabello, M. N. (2007) Fungal communities on decaying saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) in Buenos Aires province (Argentina).

Sydowia 59(2): 227–234.

The fungal community on decaying leaves of saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) from sodic Natracualf soils, was characterized. A total of 33 fungal taxa was recorded, 25 taxa from moist chamber and 12 from washed and particulate leaves. It is noted that only four species were common by using both methods. Twenty eight species were anamorphic fungi, four taxa belonged to the Ascomycota and one anamorphic yeast to the Basidiomycota. The abundance, percentage frequencies and contribution to diversity index Shannon Weaver (H) of these fungi were calculated and used to evaluate fungal communities.
Based on our results, this is a mature fungal community since it has an important number of species of relatively high abundance, though none of them was dominant, as well as another group of species with low abundance. Also this fungal community showed high diversity value and high evenness.

Keywords: diversity, species richness, evenness, litter decomposers, sodic soils.