Drivers of macrofungal composition and distribution in Yulong Snow Mountain, southwest China

Abstract

Although environmental factors strongly affect the distribution of macrofungi, few studies have so far addressed this issue. Therefore, to further our understanding of how macrofungi respond to changes in the environment, we investigated the diversityand community composition of fungi based on the presence of fruiting bodies in different environments along an elevation gradient in a subalpine Pine forest at Yulong Snow Mountain in southwest China. Two-hundred and twenty-eight specimens of macrofungi from twelve plots were identified using macro-morphological characteristics. We found that soil temperature had a significantly positive influence on total macrofungal and ectomycorrhizal species richness and diversity, while elevation gradients had a significantly negative influence. Furthermore, total macrofungal and ectomycorrhizal species community composition were significantly influenced by soil temperature and elevation gradients. No significant relationships were found between environment variables and the diversity and community composition of saprotrophic fungi in subalpine pine forest.