Route-based survey of terrestrial macrofungi nearby Khanty-Mansiysk, Western Siberia

Study Extent

The monitoring program in the vicinity of Khanty-Mansiysk was initiated with the purpose of long-term plot-based observations of structure and dynamics of the macrofungi community, representing the middle taiga zone of Western Siberia.

Sampling

Ten permanent plots were established in spring 2015 distributed over an area of about 10 square kilometers. The locations were chosen to assess major homogenous contours of different forest types, e.g. old-growth coniferous forests and their after-cut secondary forests 5, and 20-30 years after cutting, plus a wet birch forest site and a bogged site. To extent observation area, five lines (=routes) were established in vicinity of plots encompassing major vegetation types: 2 routes in old-growth coniferous forests and 3 - in secondary deciduous forests.

Quality Control

The collection database is available at http://bioportal.ugrasu.ru. All determinations could be checked online or by the request of specimens from the YSU Fungarium and re-identified. Future thorough taxonomic work is also necessary for some taxonomically difficult groups like Cortinarius spp., Russula spp.

Method steps

1. Five routes were located on the map in vicinity of the plots and the endpoints were imported in GPS to be used during the route-based survey.
2. During the survey, the researcher was walking along a route using the GPS and counted all macrofungi observed within the radius about 1 m. The total sum of the counted fruitbodies of each species was representing the “organismQuantity”. The number of accidents with the each species, regardless number of fruit bodies, was representing the “individialCount”.
3. The common and easily recognizable species were identified in the field. The detailed identification of doubtful species was done in the laboratory. For that, the collections were processed as described in Lodge et al. (Mueller et al., 2004, Biodiversity of fungi). Fresh fruiting bodies were wrapped in aluminium foil and carried to the laboratory to be processed on the day of collection. The processing of specimens included: 1) photographing on a photo-studio table, 2) description of vital characters, 3) preliminary microscopy and determination, 4) filling the data in the database, 5) labeling, and 6) drying at 50°C to store in the Fungarium of Yugra State University.
4. The detailed identification was done during the winter following the collection season. Dry specimens were rehydrated in tap water or KOH (10 %); dyes and other chemicals (Congo Red, Melzer reagent, ammonia) were applied when necessary. A Zeiss Axiostar microscope with Achromat 5/0.12, 10/0.25, 40/0.65 (dry) and 100/1.25 (oil immersion) objectives was used for microscopical examination.
5. Most of the finds were identified using Funga Nordica keys (Knudsen and Vesterholt, 2008. Funga Nordica) and some additional monographs on particular taxa were used when necessary.

Terrestrial macrofungi were studied during the survey. The group was defined as the macrofungi which confine to terrestrial habitat as opposed to wood-inhabiting species representing another prominent community in boreal forests. However, these groups partially overlap and we recorded species growing on mossy old trunks or buried wood within the plots. Our study included following groups in the analysis: Discomycetes, Agaricoid, Boletoid, Aphyllophoroid fungi (we omitted brackets, crusts and jellies but included clubs and coral fungi) and some other groups in minority.

1. Fungi
   common name: Mushrooms rank: kingdom

The studied area is located in the middle taiga zone of Western Siberia. For the purpose of permanent monitoring, an area located in 20 km from the Khanty-Mansiysk town was chosen which is at the same time located within the borders of the natural park «Samarovskiy Chugas» and is relatively intact. A number of clear-cuts were held here from 5 to 30 years ago which diversified old coniferous forests by their secondary communities.