Abstract: Wood-inhabiting fungi are noteworthy components of woody ecosystems that are responsible for the decomposition and turnover of wood nutrients. While the diversity and ecology of these fungi in the temperate forests has been relatively well explored, little is known on diversity of these fungi in the arid and semi-arid forest ecosystems. This is the first study on diversity, distribution, and ecology of the fungal genus Hyphodontia s.l. in the five countries of Central Asia, viz., Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Altogether, 11species are confirmed for the region, among which the following six species are reported for the first time from Central Asia: Hyphodontia alutaria, H. pallidula, Kneiffiella alutacea, Lyomyces crustosus, L. erastii, and L. sambuci. In addition to the morphological evidence, the identity of three species is confirmed with phylogenetic analysis based on ITS nuclear ribosomal DNA region. The spectra of known hosts for many of the studied species were expanded. An annotated species list and geo-referenced distribution maps are provided as well as notes on taxonomy, ecology, and local, regional, and global distribution. An identification key to the species of Hyphodontia s.l. recorded in arid and semi-arid regions of Central Asia is also provided.
Key words: taxonomy, ITS, wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes, global distribution, GIS, Central Asia, Agaricomycetes.
Resume: Les champignons residant sur le bois sont des composantes remarquables des ecosystemes ligneux qui sont responsables de la decomposition et du taux de renouvelement des nutriments du bois. Alors que la diversite et l'ecologie de ces champignons dans les forets temperees ont ete relativement bien explorees, la diversite de ces champignons dans les ecosystemes forestiers arides et semi-arides est peu connue. Les auteurs presentent la premiere etude a porter sur la diversite, la distribution et l'ecologie du genre fongique Hyphodontia s.l. dans cinq pays d'Asie centrale : le Kazakhstan, le Kirghizistan, le Tadjikistan, le Turkmenistan et l'Ouzbekistan. Au total, la presence de 11 especes a ete confirmee dans ces regions, parmi lesquelles six especes etaient rapportees pour la premiere fois en Asie centrale : Hyphodontia alutaria, H. pallidula, Kneiffiella alutacea, Lyomyces crustosus, L. erastii et L. sambuci. En plus des donnees morphologiques, l'identite de trois especes a ete confirmee par une analyse phylogenetique de la region de l'ITS de l'ADN ribosomique nucleaire. Le spectre des hotes connus pour plusieurs des especes etudiees a ete etendu. Une liste annotee d'especes et des cartes de distribution geo-referencees sont fournies de meme que des notes sur la taxonomie, l'ecologie, et les distributions locale, regionale et globale. Une cle l'identification des especes d'Hyphodontia s.l. enregistrees dans les regions arides et semi-arides d'Asie centrale est aussi fournie. [Traduit par la Redaction]
Mots-cles: taxonomie, ITS, basidiomycetes residant sur le bois, distribution globale, GIS, Asie centrale, Agaricomycetes.
Introduction
Wood-inhabiting fungi are noteworthy components of woody plant ecosystems and take an active part in the decomposition and turnover of nutrients from wood. Corticioid fungi are one of the major groups of wood-inhabiting basidiomycetes (Larsson 2007), although some of them are mycorrhizal. Morphologically, this group has holobasidia and effused...