Trunk characteristics of silver fir (Abies alba) drive macrofungal species richness and community composition in a mixed temperate old-growth forest

Vladimír Kunca & Marek Ciliak

Sydowia 77: 93-109

Published online on August 5th, 2024

The structure and diversity of fungal communities on decaying wood remains largely unstudied, particularly in relation to silver fir (Abies alba). Over period of six years, 42 fir trunks with different parameters were monitored in a well-preserved remnant of natural forest. A total of 114 species based on fruiting bodies presence were recorded during the monitoring period, with an average of 16.45 species per trunk (standard deviation = 8.84). The number of species present on individual trunks ranged from two to 36. The frequency and richness of fungal species were found to be strongly influenced by a number of factors, including trunk diameter, moss cover, soil contact and number of trunk fragments. In general, the number of species observed increased gradually with decay stage, and species richness was higher for trunks over 50 cm in diameter. A total of 44 % of the species were found on only one trunk (singletons) or two trunks (doubletons). The most abundant functional group was fleshy saprotrophs. The spatial continuum of decaying wood units with a variety of niches, including non-barked wood, wood with fragmented or complete bark cover, and moss patches, is crucial for maintaining the assemblages of wood-inhabiting fungi. The fungal species associated with fir are threatened by a variety of environmental factors, many of which are also linked to the decline of Abies alba.

Keywords: fungal communities, coarse woody debris, Abies alba, ecology, Central Europe.

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