Taxonomic study, quantitative estimation of density and diversity of agarics and polypores in the molave forest of San Fernando, La Union

Abstract

Macrofungal species in the Philippines are dense and diverse, however, only a few studies focus on its taxonomy, density, and diversity due to lack of researchers specializing in this field as well as limited funding initiatives. This is a follow up study based from the 2014 survey of Tadiosa and Arsenio to document the taxonomy of Agarics and Polypores at the Molave Forest area of San Fernando City, La Union, which is an ecologically important forest biodiversity in the region. Moreover, it evaluated the diversity of these informal groups in association with their physical factors. The study utilized four transects with five quadrats each based on the accessibility of the trail and difficulty of trekking. A total of 108 samples were collected, documented and identified and were further classified into 56 morphospecies wherein 40 morphospecies are Polypores and 16 morphospecies are Agarics. The site was assessed to have high macrofungal diversity attributed to high species richness and evenness and indicated by Simpson’s Diversity index of 0.87202 and 0.85971; and Shannon-Wiener index of 2.21849 and 2.69332 for Agarics and Polypores respectively, which means that the site is efficient for the growth of these species. Furthermore, the study determined the importance value of each morphospecies which gives the estimate of morphospecies overall importance in a community based on the sum of their relative frequency, relative density, and relative dominance. It was found that Mycena sp. MFSLA-007 and Microporus xanthopus MFSLP-018 are the most important morphospecies and therefore represents the Agarics and Polypores species thriving in the study site. Lastly, the altitude, latitude, temperature, and rainfall were used to describe the diversity of Agarics and Polypores. The low latitude and altitude favor the growth of Polypores over Agarics, however, the high temperature and low rainfall, which are the most important factors to consider for macrofungal growth, account for the limited number of macrofungi collected. It is recommended that an extensive study regarding the effects of man-made disturbances on macrofungal diversity be conducted. It is also recommended that the study is done in different regions of the Philippines during the months of May until October, where conditions are conducive for macrofungal growth, to provide an overall description of macrofungal taxonomy and estimation of macrofungal density and diversity in the country.