Few studies have investigated the relationships between mycodiversity and plant communities in Quercus ilex (holm oak) woodlands. These are unique ecosystems in the Mediterranean basin of high mycological importance. The macrofungi of Q. ilex forests in Liguria, North-Western Italy, were studied: 246 species were observed in 15 permanent plots over four years. Some species were identified as typical of holm oak woodlands, e.g. Hygrophorus russula, Leccinellum lepidum, and Lactarius atlanticus.Correspondence analysis (CA) showed that the main ecological gradients shaping the fungal and plant communities are driven by soil pH and climatic factors. The CA confirms that the minimum sampling area for macrofungi is larger than for plant communities and that aggregation of multiple plots is suitable for data analysis. The data suggest that the higher-taxon approach can be successfully applied also to Q. ilex macrofungi, not only for total species and genus richness, but also within abundance classes. Further investigations are required to better characterise the mycodiversity of Mediterranean holm oak woodlands in relation to human impacts over various scales to plan effective conservation strategies.
Zotti M., Pautasso M. (2013): Macrofungi in Mediterranean Quercus ilex woodlands: relations to vegetation structure, ecological gradients and higher-taxon approach. – Czech Mycology 65(2): 193–218.
