Mushroom species richness, distribution and substrate specificity in the Kilum-Ijim forest reserve of Cameroon

Abstract

Objectives: Mushroom species richness, distribution and substrate specificity are essential considerations for conservation and management of forest ecosystems. In this study in the Kilum-Ijim mountain forest, mushroom species richness, distribution and substrate specificity was evaluated.Methodology and results: Fixed size plot method, opportunistic and downed wood sampling methods according to Mueller et al. (2004) was used for mushroom survey in 2015 in five sites in the Kilum-Ijim forest. The number of species, diversity in each site as well as substrate and morphotypes were recorded and calculated. A total of 393 macrofungi samples were collected. Highest collection (135) was recorded in September while January registered the least (22). Plantlife Sanctuary Oku recorded the highest number of macrofungal (109) while the least (44) was recorded in Anyajua community forest. Macrofungi were found on five varying substrates and ten different morphological forms of macrofungal were recorded.Conclusions and application of findings: Mushrooms species richness differed in the five sites surveyed in the Kilum-Ijim forest. Podoscypha petalodes had the highest number of species across all the five sites followed by Coprinus fissolanatus, Polyporus dictopus, Favolachia calocera and Xylaria sp. The Agaricaceae and Polyporaceae were the most abundant family. Majority of the mushroom species were found on dead wood substrate and few on dung and standing tree substrates. The result on species richness, distribution and substrate specificity of mushrooms widens the knowledge on mycodiversity and substrate relationship which is an important factor for conservation and utilization as well as for the sustainable forest ecosystem management. Also, the result projects the importance of geographic location of substrates on the distribution of mushrooms which is of immense value for conservation. There is variation in the substrate preferred by mushrooms and likely this factor influences the extent of occurrence and nutritional content.Keywords: Mushrooms, Species richness, Substrate, Distribution, Kilum-Ijim