Occurrence of myxomycetes in selected elevated urban residential gardens in Metro Manila, Philippines

Abstract

Roof-top gardens in low- and high-rise urban residential buildings are common in many urban cities for their aesthetic value and perceived health benefits for the building occupants. Leaf litter from plant communities in these gardens offer suitable microclimate conditions and substrates that can support growth and development of myxomycetes. Myxomycetes, also called slime molds, play a role in maintaining the soil microbiome, and can influence the microbial communities in these residential gardens. In this study, 204 ground leaf litter samples of ornamental woody shrubs and herbaceous flowering plants were collected from elevated gardens in eight low-to-high rise buildings for the preparation of moist chambers (MC). A total of 14 species of myxomycetes belonging to nine genera were recorded and identified in this study: Arcyria cinerea, Collaria arcyrionema, Diachea leucopodia, Diderma effusum, Diderma hemisphaericum, Didymium nigripes, Didymium sp., Didymium squamulosum, Ophiotheca chrysosperma, Perichaena cf. corticalis, Perichaena depressa, Physarum album, Physarum cinereum, and Stemonitis cf. pallida. Overall MC productivity ranged from 43 to 45%. In terms of species abundance, Arcyria cinerea and Perichaena depressa were among the most recorded myxomycetes. The study provided evidence of rooftop gardens as suitable habitats for myxomycetes.