Fungal diversity and the pattern of fungal colonization of Anacardium occidentale leaf litter

Abstract

The diversity and succession of microfungi associated with decomposing leaf litter of Anacardium occidentale L. are described from samples collected from a scrub jungle at Adyar, Chennai, at bimonthly intervals between February 2001 and April 2003. To follow fungal colonization patterns, leaf litter samples were collected from three strata representing progressive decomposition stages. The occurrence, distribution, relative frequency and abundance of fungi colonizing the leaf litter of the respective layers were monitored using the moist chamber incubation technique. The study yielded 142 taxa/ 102 genera and the successional stages among the fungal assemblages were observed during the decomposition. Although several fungal species were common components of the mycoflora of all three layers, each layer had its own characteristic species assemblage and periodicity of sporulation. Beltrania rhombica, Subramaniomyces fusisaprophyticus, Beltraniella portoricensis were the dominant and regular inhabitants throughout the study.