Effects of microclimate on bolete species richness and biomass in a Northern Benin woodland

Abstract

Studies examining the role of abiotic variables on fructification sequences of ectomycorrhizal symbionts (boletes), the extent and direction of these effects are quite rare in Africa. In the current study, we assessed the effects of microclimate on the distribution and productivity of boletes in Benin. Nine permanent plots of 2500 m 2 each split into 25 subplots of 100 m 2 were installed in three different vegetation types. The first vegetation type is dominated by Isoberlinia doka, the second by Isoberlinia tomentosa and the third by Uapaca togoensis. Abiotic variables, including soil temperature, air temperature, air relative humidity and soil moisture, were recorded every 30 min from June to October. Each plot was surveyed twice a week during the mushroom season over 3 years (2015, 2016 and 2017) to record the abundance and the fresh biomass.The effects of microclimate on boletes productivity were evaluated using generalised linear mixed models in R. Boletes give the largest natural production in July and the lowest in October. Only soil moisture has a significant negative influence on the abundance (p > 0.05). The fruiting periods of boletes are known according to the variability of the microclimatic parameters and the vegetation.