Rainforest Litter Research Articles

Two new ascomycetes from rainforest litter in Costa Rica

Two new ascomycetes, Boerlagiomyces costaricensis (Pleosporales) and Scopinella musciformis (Sordariales sensu lato), from litter samples collected in rainforests of Costa Rica, are described and illustrated. Boerlagiomyces costaricensis has globose, ostiolate ascomata covered by numerous setae-like hairs; cylindrical, fissitunicate asci without apical structures; and large, fusiform, muriform, hyaline to pale brown ascospores. Scopinella musciformis is characterized by ostiolate ascomata with a few compact clusters of hypha-like hairs distributed on the peridial surface and a long neck; ovate to ellipsoidal unitunicate asci; and small quadrangular ascospores with diagonal germ slits.

Fusacarus australis sp. n., the first endemic species of Australian Glycyphagidae (Acari)

Abstract Fusacarus australis sp. n. (Acari: Glycyphagidae) is described from specimens from tree holes and rainforest litter in Lamington National Park, Queensland. This is the first record of Fusacarus Michael from the Southern Hemisphere, and the first Australian native species of Glycyphagidae. A key to the world fauna of Fusacarus is provided.

Diversity of fungi on rainforest litter in North Queensland, Australia

Ten leaves from each of 13 different tree types from two differentrainforest sites in North Queensland, Australia were examined in order toestablish the fungal diversity developing on these leaves. A total of 57microfungi were identified, most of which were mitosporic fungi. Speciesdiversity in terms of richness and evenness were compared and the Mt Lewis sitewas found to be richer as compared to the Butchers Creek site. Statisticalmeasurements of diversity indices, however, showed that the two forest siteswere of similar diversity. Thirty-six of the fungi identified occurred only onone leaf type, indicating possible host specificities or recurrences. The samplesize, however, is deemed to be insufficient, as a larger sample size may haveresulted in less of the fungi appearing to be host specific. It is recommendedthat future studies should include more leaf samples and less tree types. It isparticularly important that the same leaf species are collected within the samesite and at different sites in order to establish the effects of host on fungalcomposition.

New early derivative mesostigmatans from Australia: Nothogynus N.G., Nothogynidae N. Fam. (Mesostigmata: Microgyniina)

We propose a new genus, Nothogynus, to accommodate two new species, N. klompeni and N. camini, from subtropical to tropical rainforest litter in Queensland, Australia. These mites share some characters with the suborder Cercomegistina, including plumose excrescences on the movable digit of the chelicerae. However, the female has only a single genital shield, tarsus IV lacks setae av4 and pv4, and the tritosternum has separate laciniae. Other characters suggest a relationship to the Microgyniina, e.g. the sternal region of the adult female has two plates, each bearing two pairs of setae; the adult male has a sternal shield with the genital valves at the level of coxae III and four pairs of setae; the fifth pair of sternal setaeis on a separate shield; both adult forms have separate mesonotal and pygidial plates; and femora I have 10 setae. These last five characters are shared only with species in the genera Microgynium and Microsejus (Microgyniina, Micro gyniidae); however, species in these two genera also share apparently derived character states not present in Nothogynus. Therefore, we propose a new family to accommodate Nothogynus, diagnose and describe the new taxa, redefine the Microgyniina, and provide a key to all of its described species.

Heatherellidae — a new family of Mesostigmata (Acari: Parasitiformes) based on two new species from rainforest litter in Australia

Abstact Forest litter habitats in Australia contain a diversity of early derivative Mesostigmata, including some taxa that cannot be placed in any currently recognised suborder. A new genus, Heatherella, and family, Heatherellidae, are proposed to accommodate two such new species, H. acanthocharis and H. callimaulos, that feed on nematodes and inhabit subtropical rainforest litter in southeast Queensland. Both mites share a number of derived character states otherwise unknown in the Mesostigmata, e.g. the opisthosoma is ringed by nine pairs of spout-like gland openings; the stigmatal opening is contained within a raised, spiky turret; the adults have three setose pygidial shields, and a unique circumventral shield surrounds the intercoxal region. The relationships of the Heatherellidae appear to be closest to the Uropodina; however, the new family lacks major uropodine synapomorphies and shares characters with Epicriina, Microgyniina, and Zerconina (none of which are known to occurin Australia).

Seasonality of Litter Invertebrate Populations in an Australian Upland Tropical Rain Forest

Monthly samples, taken over 19 months, examined the composition, density, and seasonality of invertebrate litter faunas in an upland tropical rain forest. Arthropods represented 96.0 percent of the total sample number. Numbers of invertebrates increased with an increase in precipitation and there were significantly more individuals in samples during the wetter months. Numbers declined when litter became dry and/or sparse or oversaturated. Fluctuations in invertebrate litter populations appeared to relate to rainfall, litter moisture content, leaf fall, and rates of decomposition. Comparisons were made with similar studies carried out elsewhere in tropical rain forests. The present investigation is part of a study of the breeding and foraging ecology seasonality of Australian upland tropical forest birds. THIS STUDY REPRESENTS some of the first available data on tropical rain forest litter invertebrates in

Standing crop and processing of rainforest litter in a tropical Australian stream

The observed variation in the results was caused largely by local factors, such as: leaf species; presence, abundance and distribution of shredders; and the temporal changes in standing crop of litter and abundance of shredders

Breakdown of Four Litters of Contrasting Quality in a Tropical Australian Rainforest

(1) Using litter bags, the rates of breakdown of the litter of Pinus caribaea, Araucaria cunninghamii and Eucalyptus alba were compared with that of a mixed-species rainforest litter in a lowland tropical rainforest. (2) The litter was exposed during the early part of the summer wet season and compared for 253 days; more than 1660 mm of rain was recorded during this time. (3) The rate of litter breakdown decreased in the order: E. alba > (mixed species rainforest, A. cunninghamii) > P. caribaea. (4) Excluding arthropods from the litter using coarse and fine-mesh bags showed that the mixed-species rainforest litter and that of E. alba were attractive to arthropods while that of P. caribaea was not; the litter of A. cunninghamii was excluded from this comparison. (5) In all litter, breakdown rates were not simply related to the initial contents of elements, neutral detergent fibre or acid-detergent lignin. (6) Three commonly used regression models were fitted to the data; exponential models provided satisfactory fits to the data from all except the resistant litter of P. caribaea where an asymptotic model proved appropriate.

New dematiaceous Hyphomycetes from Ivory Coast forest litter

Descriptions and illustrations of four new species of dematiaceous Hyphomycetes ( Gyrothrix magica, G. chimaera, Ellisiopsis occulta and Pleiochaeta stellaris ), discovered on the Tai tropical rain forest litter in the Ivory Coast are given.