Distribution and ecology of Myxomycetes in temperate forests. I. Patterns of occurrence in the upland forests of southwestern Virginia

Abstract

Although the upland forest communities in the Mountain Lake area occupied different relative positions (from subxeric to mesic) with respect to an environmental moisture complex-gradient, a high degree of similarity existed among the communities for species composition of Myxomycetes, but absolute abundance, species richness, and species diversity were higher for the more mesic communities. The seasonal pattern was for both species richness and species diversity to be exceedingly low early in the season, to increase to their highest levels in August, and then to decline throughout the remainder of the season. In general, Myxomycetes appear to be rather opportunistic organisms, occupying those microhabitats suitable for their growth and development as those become available to them. Nevertheless, considerable resource partitioning among species exist, since characteristic patterns of microhabitat occupation and sporulation phenology were noted for most species. Values of niche breadth and niche overlap were calculated for 39 quantitatively important species. -from Author