Fungi associated with leaf litter of para rubber (Hevea brasiliensis)

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the diversity of fungi associated with the degradation of para rubber leaf litter. Samples were collected at three periods in 2010: January (during the late rainy season), April (during the dry season) and July (early in the rainy season) in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla Provinces, both in southern Thailand. Each sample comprised the following three groups; newly fallen leaves, middle stage decaying leaves and old decaying fallen leaves. Moist chamber and dilution pour-plate methods were used. Fungal identification was based on morphological examination under compound and stereo microscopes. A total of 447 species of fungi were identified from the para rubber leaf litter, comprising 405 anamorphic taxa, 38 ascomycetes, two zygomycetes, one oomycete and one basidiomycete. Cladosporium tenuissimum was the dominant species in newly fallen leaves. Kirschsteinothelia sp., Nigrospora sphaerica and Veronaea coprophila were the dominant species in middle stage decaying leaves. In addition to Kirschsteinothelia sp., Lasiodiplodia cf. theobromae, Panchanania jaipurensis, Subulispora procuvata and Veronaea coprophila were the dominant species in old decaying fallen leaves.