How does fungal diversity change based on woody debris type? A case study in Northern Spain

Abstract

Studies on lignicolous fungal communities in southern Europe are scarce and most of them focused on coarse woody debris (CWD). Fine (FWD) and very fine woody debris (VFWD) are rarely studied. For this study, all woody debris of 90 beechwood plots (in Navarre, Northern Spain) was checked to search for lignicolous macromycetes. Although most species were found on CWD, small sized woody debris being especially diverse on Ascomycota species, and big sized woody debris on Basidiomycota ones. The CAP analysis revealed that fungal communities from different diameter woody debris classes were dissimilar and that fungal composition changed gradually, from smaller diameter woody debris towards coarser ones, and vice versa. Formed groups were also different in fungal species richness, VFWD and CWD groups having a higher number of habitual and frequent species. Additionally, fungal composition changed according to beechwood types; thus faithful species for each woody debris type in different beechwood types were found. Finally, the structure and composition of fungal community changed in different decay stages and the CAP analysis showed three main groups: communities associated with weakly, moderately and strongly decayed wood.