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Geographical distribution of myxomycetes on coniferous deadwood in relation to air temperature in Japan

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Mycoscience

Abstract

This study obtained information on the biogeographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in temperate regions in Japan. It examined how climatic variables are related to patterns of occurrence in myxomycete communities. Sixty-four taxa were recorded on coniferous wood in 15 forest sites in summer. Common species that were abundant and widely distributed in Japan included Stemonitis axifera, Lycogala epidendrum, and Cribraria cancellata. In addition, Lindbladia cribrarioides was characteristic on dead Pinus densiflora wood in southwestern Japan. The species diversity index (H′) of the myxomycete communities was positively correlated with the annual mean temperature. The distribution of myxomycete communities was analyzed using nonmultidimensional scaling (NMDS). The ecological nature of the gradients expressed by the first two NMDS axes was that the first axis was found to correspond strongly to changes in the average minimum temperature and the latitude, and the second axis was related to a complex of factors, including altitude. The relative abundance of certain species in a myxomycete community on Japanese red pine changed in relation to the annual mean temperature, e.g., Lycogala epidendrum correlated negatively while Stemonitopsis hyperopta did so positively. We conclude that air temperatures can be used to predict the geographical distribution of lignicolous myxomycetes in this temperate region of Japan.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a Yakumo grant for environmental science in 2006. We thank Mr. Akira Yamao, Mr. Masato Nakata, Mr. Kengo Matuoka (Okayama University of Science), and Mr. Yuichi Harakon (Motomachi High School in Hiroshima Prefecture) for assistance with the field surveys, and are grateful to Mr. D. W. Mitchell for his kindness improving the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Okayama University of Science Attached Junior High School, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kitaku, Okayama, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Kazunari Takahashi

  2. Graduate School of Informatics, Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Kitaku, Okayama, Okayama, 700-0005, Japan

    Yoshio Hada

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  1. Kazunari Takahashi
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  2. Yoshio Hada
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Correspondence to Kazunari Takahashi.

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Takahashi, K., Hada, Y. Geographical distribution of myxomycetes on coniferous deadwood in relation to air temperature in Japan. Mycoscience 51, 281–290 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10267-010-0044-9

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