The diversity and distribution of poroid wood‐inhabiting fungi of Chile is influenced by climate and host species

Abstract

AbstractThe diversity and distribution of poroid wood‐inhabiting fungi in South America are relatively well known. However, the information from Chile is scarce and scattered. The host preference differs among fungi in this group, as some species depend on a specific host, whereas others are associated with multiple hosts. At the same time, their occurrence is influenced by climatic conditions. Thus, information about the host‐fungi relationship and climatic conditions of this group is needed to understand their distribution. Chile has 83 poroid wood‐inhabiting fungal species in six orders and 21 families, mainly Polyporales and Hymenochaetales, distributed from 30°S in Fray Jorge National Park to 56°S in Cape Horn, but Polyporales grow predominantly in forests with a higher precipitation range than Hymenochaetales. The biggest diversity resides in deciduous forests and sclerophyll forests in warm climates. Many species are specialist and mostly associated with angiosperms rather than gymnosperms. Poroid Gloeophyllales, Agaricales and Russulales are narrowly distributed.