Macrofungal Diversity in Selected Coastal Mangrove Ecosystems in Guyana, South America

Abstract

Macrofungi in mangrove ecosystems remain understudied, especially in Guyana. An investigation of the macrofungal diversity in selected coastal mangrove ecosystems in Guyana was carried out, which yielded 19 species belonging to 18 genera, 14 families, nine (9) orders, five (5) classes and two (2) phyla. Majority of the species identified (89%) belong to the phylum Basidiomycota. Consequently, 78% of the species identified were found thriving on the stems, barks and wood above the high tide line, which accounts for the high diversity for the class Agaricomycetes (80%) and orders Polyporales (40%) and Agaricales (25%) since the majority of species are wood-based fungi.
 Sampling was done during the dry season from the overwash ecosystem of old-growth mangrove ecosystems and rehabilitated mangrove ecosystems, revealing that most of the species identified (17) belong to the old-growth mangrove ecosystems. Four (4) species (Fomes fomentarius, Gloeophyllum sepiarium, Phaeolus schweinitzii, and Schizophyllum commune) were found in the old and rehabilitated mangrove ecosystems. 
 Additionally, it was noted that environmental parameters positively and negatively affect macrofungal growth. That is, there is a specific range for each parameter in which macrofungi thrive, and if an increase or decrease beyond those ranges occurs, species diversity decreases.