Sporocarp succession of soil-inhabiting macrofungi in an autochthonous subalpine Norway spruce forest of Switzerland

• Published in: Forest ecology and management 1999, Vol.124 (2), p.169-175
• Main Authors: Senn-Irlet, Beatrice, Bieri, Guido
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; Biological and medical sciences; canopy gaps; colonization; colonizing ability; Early stage fungi; Economic plant physiology; forest ecology; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; ground cover; mycorrhizal fungi; Mycorrhizas; Picea abies; saprophytes; Saprotrophic fungi; soil fungi; species diversity; stand characteristics; Subalpine spruce forest; Succession; Symbiosis (nodules, symbiotic nitrogen fixation, mycorrhiza...); tree age; wind damage
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00064-X

Sporocarps of macrofungi have been recorded in two neighbouring pure stands of Norway spruce ( Picea abies) of different age due to a wind-throw in the subalpine zone of the Alps. The still open young stand of 30 years with trees up to 6 m displayed 80 species, the mature closed forest stand 90 species. Species richness of mycorrhizal fungi is higher in the mature stand than in the younger one, however, with an almost doubled sporocarp production in the latter one. The opposite is found with saprotrophic fungi. Several fungi appeared only in one forest type confirming the concept of early stage versus late stage fungi. Wind-throws as irregular events in subalpine forests, create gaps and add considerably to the species diversity of macrofungi.