Studies of the diversity of lignicolous fungi in the canopy of a floodplain forest in Leipzig, Saxony

In May 2002 a study was launched within the project ‘Leipzig-Canopy-Crane ’ to investigate the diversity of lignicolous fungi in the canopy of a floodplain forest. Using a construction crane dead wood has been collected at different heights. The focus lay mainly on the tree species Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior and Tilia cordata. The collected branches were stored in high humidity for 2 weeks and were screened regularly for the occurrence of fructifications. 85 species from 62 genera could be determined so far (Asco- and Basidiomycetes incl. Fungi imperfecti). This indicates that fungi play an important role as destructive agents and perthophytes in the ecosystem compartment ‘canopy’. The high frequency of species with adaptions to aridity was obvious, e.g. the ability to continue fruitbody development after desiccation. It is noteworthy, that a few agaric fungi with comparatively delicate fruitbodies were found in heights up to 25 metres, e.g. Mycena galericulata and Gymnopilus hybridus. Probably, a typical vertical pattern of species richness has been observed. With 24 species the upper canopy showed the lowest diversity, 58 were detected from the middle canopy and 31 from the lower. In the top region of crowns only 4 genera (Cryptosphaeria, Diatrypella, Nitschkia, and Peniophora) dominated the fungal composition with approx. 60 % of all records. With increasing species diversity towards the lower heights the abundance of species decreased. The systematic-taxonomic composition of the mycota within th