Myxomycete diversity in hilly forests of East China

Abstract

We explored myxomycete species diversity in woodlands on Huangfu Mountain in Chuzhou of Anhui Province, Zijin Mountain in Nanjing of Jiangsu Province, representing the hilly forest ecosystems of East China. Three sample plots of coniferous forest and broad-leaved forests were examined on each mountain. The results showed that a total of 58 myxomycete species belonging to 21 genera of 10 families in 5 orders were found. 41 species belonging to 17 genera of 9 families in 5 orders present on Huangfu Mountain, 27 species including Licea punctiformis, Cribraria tenella and Perichaena corticalis were newly recorded species for Anhui, and 51 species belonging to 20 genera of 10 families in 5 orders occurred on Zijin Mountain, 35 species including Licea pedicellata, Cribraria intricata and Calomyxa metallica were newly recorded species for Jiangsu. The species Clastoderma debaryanum and Arcyria cinerea were the most common species on both mountains with relative abundances of 32.72% vs. 30.59% and 21.27% vs. 26.30%, respectively. It was also evident that Liceales and Stemonitales were more frequent in coniferous forests, while Trichiales and Physarales were more frequent in broad-leaved forests. Both species diversity index and numbers of species of myxomycetes were more higher in broad-leaved forests than in coniferous forests. Interestingly, the similarity of myxomycete species compositions between the two mountains was 68.57% for broad-leaved forests and 59.57% for coniferous forests and both of these values were higher than those based on comparisons between broad-leaved and coniferous forests within each mountain system. Thus, forest type has a greater effect on species composition of myxomycetes than distance between mountains