Macrofungal diversity patterns in central European forests affirm the key importance of old-growth forests

Abstract

Diversity of forest macrofungal communities is strongly influenced by various management approaches. These effects have so far only been studied in certain types of forest stands and with limited sampling effort. Here we studied the fruit bodies of all macrofungal trophic groups on 80 permanent plots (2500 m2 each) in forest stands differing in tree species composition and management practice. Unmanaged forests were shown to be the species-richest at the plot scale and also when the total fungal species richness of the studied forest types was compared. Diversity patterns varied between functional groups – unmanaged forests stand out in richness of wood-inhabiting fungi, while ectomycorrhizal species were more diverse in managed stands. Terrestrial saprotrophic species were similarly highly diverse in both managed and unmanaged mixed forest stands. The highest number of indicator species, predominantly wood-inhabiting fungi, was associated with unmanaged stands. We discuss a list of the most faithful indicator species along with their substratum preferences.