Myxomycetes in virgin forests of Carpathian biosphere reserve

Abstract

During the mycological observation of beech and spruce-fir virgin forests in the different localities of Carpathian biosphere reserve, carried out in spring and autumn 2006, 18 species, two varieties and one form of Myxomycetes were found. Collected species of myxomycetes present all the orders of class Myxomycetes. The highest species diversity was shown by the order Trichiales and family Trichiaceae, represented in virgin forests by seven species and two varieties. Among revealed myxomycete species Metatrichia floriformis (Schwein.) Nann.-Bremek., collected in beech virgin forest of Uholsko-Schyrokoluzhansky Massif (Mala Uholka) is the second record for Ukrainian mycobiota. Previous record was made by professor of Lviv university H. Krzeminiewska in 1934 in the Chornohora forests. Another rare myxomycete species from virgin forests are: Fuligo intermedia T. Macbr., known in Ukraine as two records only at the Left-Bank (in national nature park „Sviati Hory” and Luhans’k nature reserve); Physarum robustum (Lister) Nann.-Bremek., found in spruce-fir forest of Chornohora near grassland Bretskul, the new species for the Ukrainian Carpathians; Trichia decipiens (Pers.) T. Macbr. var. olivacea Meyl. from beech virgin forest of Mala Uholka – the new variety for the Ukrainian Carpathians. Substrate occurrence of collected myxomycete species was analyzed. It was shown that the majority of multisubstrate species in monodominant beech virgin forests is associated with the dead wood of Fagus sylvatica L.

Keywords

• myxomycetes
• slime molds
• virgin forests
• species and taxonomic diversity
• substrate occurrence