Leaf-litter microfungal community on poor fen plant debris in Torfy Lake area (Central Poland)

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to initially evaluate the species diversity of microfungi growing on litter of 15 plant species occurring on the poor fen and neighbouring area of the Torfy Lake, Masovian voivodeship, Poland. The lake is located near the planned road investment (construction of the Warsaw southern express ring road S2). The place is biologically valuable as there are rare plant communities from Rhynchosporion albae alliance protected under the Habitats Directive adopted by the European Union. On the examined plant debris 73 taxa of fungi were recorded (3 basidiomycetes, 13 ascomycetes, 2 zygomycetes, 43 anamorphic ascomycetes, 12 unidentified). Two of them, Dicranidion sp. and Wentiomyces sp. are presented here as new to Poland. Among the plant species examined, the litter of Rhododendron tomentosum harbored the highest number of fungal taxa (16). The highest percents of substrate-specific microfungi (i.e. recorded only on one plant species) was noted on R. tomentosum (81.3 %), and Pteridium aquilinum (75%). It is emphasized that the lake area should be protected not only because of rare plant community but also because of the uniqueness and diversity of mycobiota.

Keywords

• microfungi
• saprobic fungi
• substrate-specificity
• highway S2
• Dicranidion
• Wentiomyces