Matti Kulju

Occurrence Patterns, Diversity and Ecology of Aphyllophoroid Fungi on the Black Alder (Alnus glutinosa) in an Archipelago in the Baltic Sea

Saproxylic (dead-wood-associated) species of fungi are ecologically and functionally important forest-dwelling species but habitat and substrate associations of these species are still incompletely known. In particular, this applies to species that occur on less common host-tree species. We explored diversity and ecology of polypores and corticioids on the black alder (Alnus glutinosa), a little-studied substrate. In total, we collected 2528 records of 138 fungal species. We found 102 species only once or twice, and they comprised 3.8% of all the records, whereas five most numerous species comprised 59.5% of all the records. In total, 27 species were found solely on the black alder. Our results show that substrates of fungal species varied widely. Several species were restricted to specific alder substrates, while others had a remarkably wide substrate utilization, and we identified potentially at least six generalist and six specialist species. Many of the alder-associated species are rare. We conclude that also less common tree species in boreal forests can host diverse fungal assemblages. Thus, maintaining the black alder in forests enhances the diversity of saproxylic fungi.

Tretomyces gen. novum, Byssocorticium caeruleum sp. nova, and New Combinations in Dendrothele and Pseudomerulius (Basidiomycota)

One new genus, Tretomyces K.H. Larss., Kotir. & Saaren., and two new species, Tretomyces microsporus Kotir., Saaren. & K.H. Larss., and Byssocorticium caeruleum Kotir., Saaren. & K.H. Larss. are described and illustrated. Three new combinations, Tretomyces lutescens (J. Erikss. & Ryvarden) K.H. Larss., Kotir. & Saaren., Dendrothele minutissima (Höhn. & Litsch.) Kotir., K.H. Larss. & Saaren. and Pseudomerulius montanus (Burt) K.H. Larss., Kotir. & Kulju, are proposed.

Caudicicola gracilis (Polyporales, Basidiomycota), a New Polypore Species and Genus from Finland

A new monotypic polypore genus, Caudicicola Miettinen, Kotir. & Kulju, is described for the new species C. gracilis Kotir., Kulju & Miettinen. The species was collected in central Finland from Picea abies and Pinus sylvestris stumps, where it grew on undersides of stumps and roots. Caudicicola gracilis is characterized by very fragile basidiocarps, monomitic hyphal structure with clamps, short and wide tramal cells, smooth ellipsoid spores, basidia with long sterigmata and conidiogenous areas in the margins of the basidiocarp producing verrucose, slightly thick-walled conidia. The genus belongs to the residual polyporoid clade of the Polyporales in the vicinity of Steccherinaceae, but has no known close relatives.

Checklist of aphyllophoroid fungi (Basidiomycota) of the Archipelago Sea National Park, Southwest Finland

Aphyllophorales is an unnatural group of fungi, which are mainly wood decaying saprobes but also mycorrhizal or parasites, and are phylogenetically diverse. In this study we focused on polypores, corticioids and hydnaceous wood decayers with the common feature to form basidiocarps on woody substrates or litter. The checklist is mainly based on material collected during 2008–2010 in the Archipelago Sea National Park and its surrounding area in Southwest Finland. The aim of the study was biogeographical and ecological research of wood-inhabiting aphyllophorales and their habitats. We list 303 species from the study area. It is 40% of all known species (756) of the target groups recorded in Finland. Six species new to Finland were collected during the field work, which are already reported earlier. Our collections include 26 species, which can be defined as rare, with only five or less earlier records in Finland, and 18 species that are red-listed.