In forest ecosystems of southern Moravia, five species of annulate Armillaria species and the exannulate species Armillaria socialis were observed. Armillaria ostoyae shows its ecological optimum in the forest type group Querceto-Fagetum where it represents an important parasite of spruce. Armillaria gallica is a dominant species of floodplain forests and thermophilic oak communities where A. ostoyae is lacking. Armillaria mellea occurs on broadleaved species and fruit trees. Armillaria cepistipes and A. borealis were detected in the Drahanská vrchovina Highlands only, A. socialis occurs rarely on stumps and bases of dead oak trees in a hard-wooded floodplain forest along the Dyje river. It is one of the northernmost localities in Europe. Armillaria spp. were identified in 79 hosts, 33 of which were coniferous species. The main role of Armillaria spp. consists in the decomposition of wood in soil (stumps, roots) and in the species spectrum regulation in the course of succession.
Jankovský L. (2003): Distribution and ecology of Armillaria species in some habitats of southern Moravia, Czech Republic. – Czech Mycology 55(3-4): 173–186.
