Chapter 4: MAIN NATURAL HABITATS. Fungi have been related to plant evolution in such a way that, it can be said, that they have coevolved together. For this reason, some fungi are specific to one habitat and to specific plant species, while others can be less specific to specific habitats or host species. Here particular reference is made to the main forest types encountered in the Atlantic Area. 4.1. Broadleaved species. This group includes tree species like birch, beech, chestnut, oak, poplar, black poplar, willow, ash. A number of these species live as mixed forests around river banks. In general broadleaved forests are very rich in fungi, especially before leaves are shed. Fruiting is higher in hot and humid autumns and summers. 4.1.1. Mycoflora of beech forests: Fagus sylvatica This species grows on shaded mountain sides, deep and rich soils, in moist climate with summer rain. It does not tolerate waterlogged soils and prefers them well drained. It can reach up to 30 meters in height, has a smooth bark of silvery grey colour. It is a deciduous species; the leaves are simple with an undulated margin and hairy on veins. The beech fruit is a small, triangular nut, shut in a tiny husk. It usually forms dense monoculture forest, with poor conditions for the herbaceous layer which explains the common absence of undergrowth. Pasture lands and beech forests These young forests have developed under the moist temperate climate of the Sub Atlantic period. They can occur as mixed species forests when growing on the bottom of canyons in humid valleys. Seasonality plays an important role in the morphology of deciduous forests, particularly in the case of beech, since this shade tolerant species forms dense monoculture forest making it difficult for other species to compete Clitocybe phyllophila
FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH BEECH FOREST Ascocoryne sarcoides Neobulgaria pura Bisporella citrina Tarzetta catinus Bulgaria inquinans Ustulina deusta Diatrype disciformis Xylaria carpophila Eutypa spinosa Xylaria polymorpha Hypoxylon fragiforme Bjerkandera adusta Ganoderma applanatum Clavariadelphus pistillaris Pycnoporus cinnabarinus Fomitopsis pinicola Ramaria formosa Clitocybe phyllophila Mycena galericulata Collybia hariolorum Mycena pelianthina Hygrophorus eburneus Mycena polygramma Hygrophorus poetarum Mycena renatii Marasmius alliaceus Oudemansiella mucida Marasmius wynnei Panellus serotinus Micromphale brassicolens Panellus stipticus Mycena crocata Panus conchatus Mycena diosma Cortinarius bolaris Cortinarius praestans Cortinarius cinnabarinus Cortinarius splendens Cortinarius elegantissimus Cortinarius violaceus Cortinarius humicola Lactarius blennius Lactarius vellereus Lactarius pallidus Russula faginea Gasteromycetidae Lycoperdon pyriforme Lactarius vellereus Cortinarius cinnabarinus
4.1.2. Chestnut forests mycoflora: Castanea sativa. Castanea sativa is characteristic for the Atlantic Area landscape. It grows in zones of high altitude and prefers southern orientation for light and heat. It also grows at lower altitude where it prefers northern orientation benefiting from humidity as a defence against the very high temperatures of summer. It needs acidic, fertile, quite shallow and fresh soils but not waterlogged. It can reach close to 30 meters in height, with large diameters and it can live up to hundreds of years. It can also be found in mixed-species forest (particularly with pine trees and oak). Fungi associated with chestnut are very similar to fungal species associated with other broadleaves trees and particularly those that grow in oak forests. Sweet chestnut FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH CHESTNUT FORESTS Rutstroemia echinophila Cantharellus cibarius Fistulina hepatica Grifola frondosa Armillaria mellea Lepista inversa Clitocybe nebularis Tricholoma columbetta Collybia kuehneriana Tricholoma ustale Hygrophorus nemoreus Amanita caesarea Amanita pantherina Amanita franchetii Amanita vaginata Pluteales Clitopilus prunulus Lactarius aurantiacus Russula foetens Lactarius piperatus Russula fragilis Russula delica Cortinarius diabolicus Hebeloma radicosum Boletales Boletus aemilii Boletus rhodoxanthus Boletus aestivalis Paxillus involutus Boletus edulis Xerocomus chrysenteron Boletus pinophilus Xerocomus ferrugineus Gasteromycetidae Lycoperdon perlatum Cantharellus cibarius
The most common toxic species in this habitat are: Amanita phalloides (death cap) which is very common at the beginning of autumn and which is very similar to Russula virescens (greencracked brittlegill) because of its green colour. Another very toxic species is Entoloma lividum whose smell is very nice and whose gills are of salmon colour at maturity. Other toxic species are: Boletus satanas (devil s bolete), Boletus calopus, Amanita pantherina (very similar to A. spissa, A. gemmata o junquillea). The most interesting edible species are: Amanita caesarea (Caesar s mushroom), Boletus pinophilus (spring king), Boletus reticulatus (summer bolete), Boletus aereus (queen bolete), Boletus regius (royal bolete), Russula virescens (crackedgreen brittlegill), they are all considered as excellent to eat and are much appreciated by mushroom pickers. Other edible species: Clitopilus prunulus (sweetbread mushroom), Russula vesca (baretoothed brittlegill), Cantharellus cibarius (chanterelle), Russula cyanoxantha (charcoal burner), Boletus erythropus (red foot), Xerocomus subtomentosus, Fistulina hepatica (beefsteak fungus),... 4.1.3. Mycoflora of river bank forests: Forests of river banks are deciduous and depend on the humidity brought out by the river for their survival. These types of forest are very favourable for the growth of fungi as they have moist soils. They are composed of willow, black poplar, ash, elm, hazel, etc In the areas closest to water, willow or osier shrubs are dominant, and gradually while moving away from the river, these species are replaced by black poplar, poplar or bigger willow species. Located the furthest from the river are forests of small-leaved elm trees and English elm. For river bank forests located in mountains at an altitude of around 1,000 meters, species such as birch, hazel, maple, and lime appear. Alder can be found where rivers cross siliceous areas made of slates or quartz. Willow stands form dynamic tree communities that can tolerate changes in humidity like variation in river water levels, which enable the species to grow along the edge of streams. Willow species that can be encountered in these communities are: Salix atrocinerea, Salix triandra, Salix purpurea and Salix eleagnos. River bank forests Alder stands grow on soils poor in carbonates. The position of these tree communities on the river banks is either directly on the stream border or just behind the willow tree community, when its establishment is possible. Ash stands succeed better in developing on sandy soils impoverished in carbonates. In more moist climates, it can develop and mix with alder forest communities. Ash trees (Fraxinus angustifolia) prefer to develop further away from the water than alder. Poplar stands are composed of Populus alba or Populus nigra. The latter is less resistant to high temperatures and prefers relatively poor soils, while Populus alba is a more thermophile species, and requires to grow in richer soils and tolerates better clayey soils than the other species. They are often growing as a mixture of both species. Elm forest stands are mainly composed of Ulmus minor which is less dependant on the humidity of ground water. Elm forest communities have been very badly affected by the Dutch elm disease.
FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH RIVER BANK FORESTS Helvella leucoporus Rhytisma salicinum Mitrophora semilibera Verpa digitaliformis Morchella esculenta Phragmobasidiomycetes Auricularia mesenterica Exidia recisa Auriculariopsis ampla Fomes fomentarius Daedaleopsis tricolor Phellinus igniarius Laccaria fraterna Pleurotus pulmonarius Lentinus cyathiformis Rhodotus palmatus Lentinus tigrinus Tricholoma cingulatum Pleurotus ostreatus Tricholoma populinum Coprinus domesticus Psathyrella populina Psathyrella marcescibilis Pluteales Pluteus salicinus Volvariella bombycina Lactarius controversus Agrocybe aegerita Cortinarius salignus* Alnicola alnetorum Pholiota aurivella Cortinarius decipiens Pholiota populnea Boletales Leccinum duriusculum Paxillus filamentosus * Probably = Cortinarius cinnamomeoluteus P.D. Orton 4.1.4. Mycoflora of oak forest stands: Quercus sp. Forests of oak trees and other mixtures of tree species are characteristic of hill sides and low lands at the foot of mountains. They constitute the natural landscape of low lands of the Euro Siberian region, but due to its location, in the middle of cultivated and pasture lands; very few are left well conserved. They are generally located in oligotrophic grounds at the foot of mountainous areas. Because of this, its undergrowth flora is usually poor and composed of acidophilic plants. Oaks of these forests tolerate periodic flooding as well as loamy soil, very clayey Young oak woodlands
and compact soils where root aeration is difficult. The forests formed by various oak (Quercus) species are the most numerous. They extend from zones of higher altitudes where sessile oaks are established to zones of lower and drier lands where Portuguese oaks predominate. The most common oak species are: - Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica): very common and forms forests on acidic soils; it is well adapted to continental climate with significant daily and seasonally thermal amplitude. It tolerates periods of very low temperatures because it comes in leaf late and has a short cycle. They are characterised by slow growth, forming dense forest masses. - Sessile oak (Quercus petraea): this is the most corpulent and attractive oak, and can get very old. - Portuguese oak (Quercus faginea): it can grow on siliceous as well as calcareous and clayey soils. It forms the transition between deciduous and evergreen species, as its leaves shed late and stay on the tree during quite some time. - English oak (Quercus robur): A tree species well adapted to the influence of the Atlantic, very common in the humid zones of the North. Oaks FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH OAK FORESTS Ciboria batschiana Dasyscyphus niveus Coccomyces coronatus Hymenoscyphus fructigenus Dasyscyphus coronatus Peziza badioconfusa Phragmobasidiomycetes Exidia glandulosa Daedalea quercina Meripilus giganteus Ganoderma lucidum Stereum gausapatum Laetiporus sulphureus Marasmius quercophilus Tricholoma sulphureum Mycena inclinata Tricholoma ustaloides Amanita crocea Amanita phalloides Lactarius acerrimus Russula cyanoxantha Lactarius quietus Russula virescens Russula amoena Boletales Boletus erythropus Boletus pseudoregius Boletus legaliae Boletus regius Boletus luridus Boletus satanas Gasteromycetidae Lycoperdum echinatum
4.1.5. Mycoflora of birch forests: Betula alba. Birch forests form deciduous tree communities composed mainly of Betula alba and some other species such as lime, sessile oak, etc. It grows on forested humid areas, on river banks, on mountain sides and sometimes on hill sides. It prefers siliceous substrates. It requires high precipitation and can be found at higher altitude. Many mycorrhizal fungi are associated with birch. It might be the species with the highest number of specific associations. The fungal species from the following genera can only be found on the roots of Betula alba: Leccinum, Russula, Cortinarius, Lactarius, Hebeloma, Boletus. FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH BIRCH FORESTS Piptoporus betulinus Meripilus giganteus Tricholoma fulvum Pholiota alnicola Lactarius citriolens Lactarius tabidus Lactarius lilacinus Lactarius torminosus Lactarius necator Russula betularum Lactarius spinosulus Boletales Leccinum aurantiacum Leccinum variicolor Leccinum roseofractum Leccinum versipelle Leccinum scabrum Pluteales Entoloma majaloides Entoloma turbidum 4.2. Pine trees. Pine forests represent the most widely distributed type of forest on the whole of the Atlantic Area. In certain zones, their distribution is so large, compared to other forest formations, that they often shape the forest landscape. The large variety of species in the genus Pinus enables pine to develop in areas of very rigorous climates and very often on soils of poor edaphic characteristics, where the inter specific competition is low. It includes forests formed by Pinus sylvestris, P. pinaster, P. pinea, P. uncinata, P. nigra, P. halepensis, P. radiata (= insignis) and firs of the genera Abies (Abies alta, Abies pinsapo...).these forests are generally very rich in fungal species.
FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH PINE FORESTS Gyromitra esculenta Gyromitra gigas Sarcosphaera crassa Phragmobasidiomycetes Calocera viscosa Guepiniopsis chrysocoma Dacrymyces chrysospermus Pseudohydnum gelatinosum Exidia saccharina Auriscalpium vulgare Stereum ostrea Phaeolus schweinitzii Stereum sanguinolentum Phellinus pini Thelephora terrestris Sarcodon imbricatus Trichaptum abietinum Sparassis crispa Baeospora myosura Mycena vulgaris Clitocybe rhizophora Strobilurus stephanocystis Hygrophorus agathosmus Tricholoma equestre Hygrophorus hypothejus Tricholoma focale Hygrophorus latitabundus Tricholoma portentosum Marasmius androsaceus Tricholoma terreum Mycena seynesii Tricholomomopsis rutilans Mycena stipata Agaricus purpurellus Amanita muscaria Amanita citrina Lepiota castanea Amanita gemmata Cortinarius mucosus Galerina marginata Cortinarius rubellus Hypholoma capnoides Cortinarius sanguineus Inocybe terrigena Lactarius deliciosus Lactarius sanguifluus Lactarius mitissimus Lactarius semisanguifluus Lactarius rufus Russula drimeia Russula torulosa
4.3. Meadows and pastures. These include the plant communities intimately linked with the nutrition of livestock. While meadows are mowed, pastures are more adequate for grazing. Meadows FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH MEADOWS AND PASTURES Calocybe gambosa Lepista personata Clitocybe dealbata Lepista nuda Clitocybe geotropa Leucopaxillus candidus Crinipellis stipitaria Marasmius graminum Cuphophyllus pratensis Marasmius oreades Cuphophyllus virgineus Melanoleuca brevipes Hygrocybe coccinea Melanoleuca excissa Hygrocybe conica Melanoleuca grammopodia Hygrocybe psittacina Melanoleuca melaleuca Hygrocybe punicea Melanoluca subalpina Lepista paneleola Pleurotus eryngii Agrocybe molesta Psilocybe semilanceata Agrocybe praecox Stropharia coronilla Conocybe tenera Agaricus albertii Leucoagaricus leucothites Agaricus arvensis Macrolepiota excoriata Agaricus campestris Macrolepiota konradii Agaricus xanthodermus Macrolepiota mastoidea Amanita vittadinii Macrolepiota procera Coprinus comatus Macrolepiota rickenii Coprinus plicatilis Pluteales Entoloma conferendum Entoloma sericeum Entoloma lazulinum Entoloma serrulatum Gasteromycetidae Bovista plumbea Mycenastrum corium Calvatia utriformis Scleroderma cepa Geastrum campestre Vascellum pratense Langermannia gigantea