Abstract
Most research on bioluminescent fungi is concentrated on their taxonomic relationships, while the basics of their natural history and ecological relationships are poorly understood. In this study, we compared the distribution of bioluminescent fungi between old-growth and secondary forest as related to four different soil types at the tropical rainforest of La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica. The study was conducted during the wet season of 2009. Bioluminescent fungi were sought following eight different transects distributed evenly in old-growth and secondary forests across four different soil types, covering an area of 9 420m2. We found fungi in four different substrates: litter, fallen branches, dead trunks, and roots, for a total of 61 samples. Correspondence analysis showed that the occurrence of fungi and soil types were related (inertia = 0.21, p = 0.071). We found a significant relationship between the presence of fungi and the distribution of soil types (X2 = 18.89, df = 9, p = 0.026). We found only three samples with fruiting bodies, two of which had Mycena and the other had one fungus of the order Xylariales (possibly Hypoxylon sp., Kretzschmariella sp., Xylaria sp.). Future work will concentrate on exploring other aspects of their ecology, such as their dispersal and substrate preference. This information will facilitate field identification and will foster more research on the distribution, seasonality, reproductive phenology and ecological requirements of this group of Fungi.
Highlights
Bioluminescent organisms are diverse and extensively distributed among many groups including bacteria, dinoflagellates, insects and fungi
Our study aims to add to this growing body of knowledge by comparing the distribution of bioluminescent fungi across successional and soil gradients considering old-growth and secondary forests and four different soil types
Collection of fungal samples: Mycelia of bioluminescent fungi were collected by hand at night along eight 325m long transects, distributed evenly in old-growth and secondary forests taking into account four different soil types: Andic Humitropept (AH), Typic Tropohumult (TT), Typic Humitropept (TH) and Andic Dystropept (AD) according to the original version of Soil Taxonomy (USDA Soil Survey Staff 1975 in Sancho & Mata 1987, McDade & Hartshorn 1994)
Summary
Bioluminescent organisms are diverse and extensively distributed among many groups including bacteria, dinoflagellates, insects and fungi. Many reasons for the role of bioluminescence in fungi have been suggested Some of these hypotheses suggest that luminescence helps to attract invertebrates to assist in spore dispersal (Sivinski 1981, 1998). Luminous fungi belong to the phylum Basidiomycota, and are found in tropical as well as temperate climates, always associated with hydrated substrates, with the possible exception of the ascomycete Xylaria hypoxylon (Foerster et al 1965). They emit a greenish, cold light with a maximum intensity. There have been very few ecological studies of bioluminescent fungi, and no examination of their distribution and substrate requirements across different habitat types in tropical regions. Understanding the physical conditions that affect the distribution and abundance of bioluminescent fungi will provide insights for determining the role that these organisms play across successional stages
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