Distribution of Macrofungi (Agaricomycetes) in remnants of forest in the area of influence of Laguna Lachuá National Park, Cobán, Alta Verapaz

Abstract

To understand how the geometry and size of the forest remnants affect the distribution of macrofungi, eight remnants from the zone of influence -ZI- of the Laguna Lachuá National Park -PNLL- were taken as a sample; four with rectangular geometry and four with square geometry. In addition to geometry, two remnant sizes were determined in the total sample, four large and four small. In each of them, two perpendicular transects were established that crossed the length and width of the remnant, on the transect, circular plots of 5m2 were established every 5 meters. collecting the total number of macrofungi found.

Physicochemical factors were measured that could be conditioned by the size and shape of the forest remnant and therefore influence the distribution of fungi; among them: light density in the canopy, physicochemical composition of the soil and organic matter, and presence of trees with a diameter at breast height - DBH - greater than 10.

170 morphospecies of macrofungi of the Agaricomycetes class were collected in the eight forest remnants of Zl. the most abundant families were Tricholomataceae and Polyporaceae. The response of macrofungi to gradients within remnants responds to size, since large remnants have a greater number of specimens. The edge effect is perceived in remnants with rectangular geometry regardless of size. No plant-fungus specificity was found that affected its distribution within the remnants. The physicochemical factor that determines the distribution of macrofungi is organic matter, since it responds to! edge effect on remnants with rectangular geometry.