This paper presents the results of the study on the mycoflora of a botanical garden located in Liguria (NW Italy). Mycological investigations were performed to list the presence of both epigeous and hypogeous macrofungal species in the... more
This paper presents the results of the study on the mycoflora of a botanical garden located in Liguria (NW Italy). Mycological investigations were performed to list the presence of both epigeous and hypogeous macrofungal species in the historical Hanbury Botanical Gardens. The results show that several interesting and uncommon species, especially among hypogeous fungi, occur in the site. Ectomycorrhizal species and soil saprotrophs were more numerous than woody decaying and parasite fungi. This site, declared a Regional Protected Area and a Site of Community Importance for its high plant biodiversity, also constitutes an interesting area from a mycological perspective. Due to the importance of fungi in terrestrial ecosystems functioning and their potential interactions with plants, further studies should be planned in order to increase knowledge on the fungal components that can are present in botanical gardens.
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The knowledge of macrofungal diversity associated with Silver Fir forests in Italy is quite scarce. Only a little information is available about macrofungal communities from some Ligurian and Tuscan Silver Fir sites. This study aims to... more
The knowledge of macrofungal diversity associated with Silver Fir forests in Italy is quite scarce. Only a little information is available about macrofungal communities from some Ligurian and Tuscan Silver Fir sites. This study aims to assess the macrofungal diversity of a Silver Fir plantation in Sardinia by the application of a standardized sampling procedure. A total of 606 sporomata were collected and 52 Basidiomycota were identified. The high value of the Shannon Index indicated a considerable level of macrofungal diversity in this plantation. The results were also compared with the diversity indices obtained by a previous 3-years long sampling methodology in the same site. The comparison of the macrofungal diversity values of the Sardinian site with those of the Ligurian Silver Fir forest revealed interesting similarities among natural versus planted coniferous forests. Riassunto Si riportano in questo lavoro i risultati inerenti l'utilizzo di un protocollo standardizzato per la valutazione della diveristà macrofungina. Tale metodologia, sviluppata per lo studio della biodiversità di organismi come i macrofunghi o gli insetti, offre numerosi vantaggi in ambito ecologico, quali: ridurre lo sforzo di campionamento e ottenere dati comparabili con quelli di altre ricerche simili. Durante il primo workshop nazionale sulle ectomicorrize si è proceduto all'applicazione di questo metodo con la finalità di avere un quadro della micodiversità del sito prescelto: un impianto artificiale di Abete bianco nel nordovest della Sardegna. Basandosi sull'osservazione quali-e quantitativa degli sporomi presenti, sono stati complessivamente rilevati 606 basidiomi, riconducibili a 52 taxa (Basidiomycota). I valori degli indici di biodiversità calcolati, in particolare l'indice di Shannon (H'), mostrano che l'area è
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Corticioid fungi are essential organisms in forest ecosystems due to the key role played in the decomposition process of dead organic matter, nutrient cycle and soil formation. Despite their functional and ecological importance, this... more
Corticioid fungi are essential organisms in forest ecosystems due to the key role played in the decomposition process of dead organic matter, nutrient cycle and soil formation. Despite their functional and ecological importance, this group of fungi is particularly overlooked in the Mediterranean area and information about species diversity and distribution are very fragmented. The present work constitutes the first study in Liguria (Northwestern Italy), unsurveyed region by "corticioids viewpoint". Surveys were performed in 40 plots located in two different broadleaf forests: 20 plots characterized by the presence of Fagus sylvatica, and 20 by Castanea sativa. A total of 25 and 17 taxa were respectively recorded in the studied sites. Among these, 21 species are new records in Liguria. It is worth noting the presence of the rare species Scotomyces subviolaceous that is included in the draft European red list. Statistical performed analyses show that both wood debris volume ...
The historical botanical gardens “Hanbury” are located in Liguria (North-Western Italy) on the promontory of “Capo Mortola”, in the province of Imperia, few kilometers far from the boundary between Italy and France. These gardens, founded... more
The historical botanical gardens “Hanbury” are located in Liguria (North-Western Italy) on the promontory of “Capo Mortola”, in the province of Imperia, few kilometers far from the boundary between Italy and France. These gardens, founded in 1867, represent an interesting site where a high number and diversity of flowers, plant species and collections can be found. They also represent a regional protected area covering over 19 hectares. About half of this surface is cultivated with plants from different areas with subtropical or warm-temperate climates, while the other half is characterized by semi-natural Mediterranean vegetation, with the presence of Pinus halepensis Mill. woods and other habitats. Despite the gardens are well-known because of the richness and diversity of plant species and vegetation types, no information is available on macrofungi. The knowledge on macrofungal species can surely represent an important tool for a conservative perspective, due to the crucial ecolo...
The availability of real and potential distribution maps of edible fungi represents a powerful tool for an effective preservation of the areas where precious species grow or might grow. The thematic cartographies can also contribute to... more
The availability of real and potential distribution maps of edible fungi represents a powerful tool for an effective preservation of the areas where precious species grow or might grow. The thematic cartographies can also contribute to develop useful management models and to identify unknown productive areas. During the last years, several thematic maps, referred to edible fungi, were compiled in Liguria. This coastal North-western Italian region, in spite of the little percentage of the Italian territory covered (2%), is characterized by a high presence and variety of forest types (e.g. beech, oak, chestnut, conifer, holm oak woods) and an high level of mycodiversity. The habitat richness affect also the mycobiota, which is represented by a high number and diversity of species. Among these, several precious edible species, such as Boletus edulis Bull., Hygrophorus marzuolus (Fr.) Bres., Tuber aestivum Vittad., T. magnatum Pico., T. melanosporum Vittad., T. brumale Vittad., were cho...
Cortinarius is one of the most widespread macrofungal genera. Although Mediterranean basin is considered a biodiversity hotspot, very few studies have addressed the presence and importance of Cortinarius species in such area. Surveys were... more
Cortinarius is one of the most widespread macrofungal genera. Although Mediterranean basin is considered a biodiversity hotspot, very few studies have addressed the presence and importance of Cortinarius species in such area. Surveys were carried out in Liguria (NW Italy) in different habitats characterized by the presence of Quercus ilex. Altogether 67 taxa were observed: 49 of them are new records for Liguria while 23 represent new records for Italy. In addition, we report the distinguishing characters and ecological traits of the species which are also rare in Europe.
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Liguria (NW Italy) is a region characterised by a great richness in habitats, flora, and mycobiota. In the first half of last century, many areas of Liguria were frequently reforested with conifers, mainly pines. This type of habitat is... more
Liguria (NW Italy) is a region characterised by a great richness in habitats, flora, and mycobiota. In the first half of last century, many areas of Liguria were frequently reforested with conifers, mainly pines. This type of habitat is still uninvestigated from a mycological perspective. As a consequence, our work aims at assessing mycodiversity under Pinus nigra Arnold plantations and at checking possible correlations between fungal diversity/abundance and ecological parameters. Eleven permanent plots were surveyed in two serpentine areas in Liguria (Northwestern Italy) through three years. Sporomata were collected and identified in all seasons of fungal growth. Shannon’s diversity index and Jaccard’s similarity index were calculated for each plot, and then the indices were correlated with the main ecological parameters. 94 macrofungal species were found. For each plot, Shannon’s index shows a low level of macrofungal diversity. Significant correlations exist between the mycodiver...
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Nell’ambito dei prodotti non legnosi del bosco, i funghi eduli rappresentano una delle maggiori risorse, sia dal punto di vista ecologico, che economico. Negli ultimi decenni tuttavia, il progressivo abbandono delle aree montane e la... more
Nell’ambito dei prodotti non legnosi del bosco, i funghi eduli rappresentano una delle maggiori risorse, sia dal punto di vista ecologico, che economico. Negli ultimi decenni tuttavia, il progressivo abbandono delle aree montane e la scarsa attenzione ad una corretta gestione forestale, hanno fortemente inciso sulla produttività dei boschi, determinando così la necessità di mettere a punto pratiche e trattamenti silvicolturali mirati all’incremento della produzione fungina, con particolare interesse alle specie eduli pregiate. In Italia, così come in molti altri paesi europei, scarsa è stata l’attenzione dedicata, fino ad oggi, allo studio delle dinamiche forestali e le interazioni con la produzione fungina, in particolare quella epigea. Uno degli scopi del progetto “Amycoforest” (ALCOTRA 2012-2013), che ha visto il coinvolgimento di enti pubblici e privati liguri, piemontesi e francesi, è stato quello di sviluppare e mettere in pratica trattamenti forestali mirati all’incremento de...
Le Corticiaceae s.l. (Aphyllophorales s.l., Basidiomycota) comprendono funghi tradizionalmente riuniti in un unico gruppo per la morfologia resupinata dei basidiomi: generalmente semplice, spianata e con margini lievemente revoluti.... more
Le Corticiaceae s.l. (Aphyllophorales s.l., Basidiomycota) comprendono funghi tradizionalmente riuniti in un unico gruppo per la morfologia resupinata dei basidiomi: generalmente semplice, spianata e con margini lievemente revoluti. Questi funghi svolgono una funzione determinante in ambito forestale poiché degradando il legno partecipano attivamente alla produzione dell’humus, rendendo nuovamente disponibili alle piante gli elementi semplici (2). Numerosi studi realizzati nel nord Europa hanno, inoltre, dimostrato il ruolo delle Corticiaceae s.l. come bioindicatori (7), poichè sono risultati un valido strumento per la valutazione della qualità ambientale e della salute dell’ecosistema bosco. Dal punto di vista sistematico, sebbene studiati anche con metodi molecolari, la loro classificazione ha subito molteplici cambiamenti e le diverse specie sono state ripartite in numerosi ordini e famiglie, non ancora chiaramente delineate. Visto l’importante ruolo ecologico e il loro possibile...
Una delle attività svolte durante il primo workshop nazionale sulle ectomicorrize è stata quella di valutare la diversità macrofungina presente nell’area di studio prescelta: una riforestazione ad abete bianco nel Nord-Ovest della... more
Una delle attività svolte durante il primo workshop nazionale sulle ectomicorrize è stata quella di valutare la diversità macrofungina presente nell’area di studio prescelta: una riforestazione ad abete bianco nel Nord-Ovest della Sardegna (Tempio Pausania, OT). Tale valutazione è stata eseguita mediante l’applicazione di un metodo di campionamento standardizzato. Questa metodologia, ampiamente utilizzata in Nord Europa, e già applicata anche in ambiente mediterraneo, precisamente in Liguria, consente di valutare la micodiversità dell’area di studio. In totale sono stati rilevati 52 taxa, con netta predominanza, per frequenza ed abbondanza, di specie ectomicorriziche. Amanita, Inocybe, Lactarius, Russula e Tricholoma, sono stati, infatti, i generi più numerosi. Significativa è stata anche la presenza di specie saprotrofe appartenenti al genere Mycena. I dati quantitativi (numero di sporomi per specie), sono stati utilizzati per calcolare un set d’indici di biodiversità e biomassa, t...
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The historical botanical gardens “Hanbury” are located in Liguria (North-Western Italy) on the promontory of “Capo Mortola”, in the province of Imperia, few kilometers far from the boundary between Italy and France. These gardens, founded... more
The historical botanical gardens “Hanbury” are located in Liguria (North-Western Italy) on the promontory of “Capo Mortola”, in the province of Imperia, few kilometers far from the boundary between Italy and France. These gardens, founded in 1867, represent an interesting site where a high number and diversity of flowers, plant species and collections can be found. They also represent a regional protected area covering over 19 hectares. About half of this surface is cultivated with plants from different areas with subtropical or warm-temperate climates, while the other half is characterized by semi-natural Mediterranean vegetation, with the presence of Pinus halepensis Mill. woods and other habitats. Despite the gardens are well-known because of the richness and diversity of plant species and vegetation types, no information is available on macrofungi. The knowledge on macrofungal species can surely represent an important tool for a conservative perspective, due to the crucial ecolo...