Basidiomycetous Fungi in Mt. Palay-palay Protected Landscape, Luzon Island, Philippines

Basidiomycetous fungi are ubiquitous organism thriving mostly in forest ecosystem. A study of these group of fungi was conducted at Mt. Palaypalay Protected Landscape (MPPL) in Southern Luzon, Philippines. This protected landscape was categorized by National Integrated Protected Areas System as one of the priority areas for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to document the existence of Basidiomycetes in the Landscape. Collection and photo-documentations of fungi were done during the months of December 2014 to June 2015. Fungal sampling was done using Transect Line (TL) with a combination of quadrat and opportunistic sampling methods. Three transect lines, one kilometer each was laid out from baseline of 100 masl up to 500 masl. Ten quadrats of 15m x 20m with an interval of 250m were established for each TL. Fleshy and woody Basidiomycetous species were collected, identified, and characterized based on established dichotomous keys. Of the 434 specimens collected, there were 24 families, 37 genera, and 41 species identified. The Landscape is currently experiencing some degree of anthropogenic disturbances such as minor forest products gathering, slash-and-burn farming, and quarrying. Fungal diversity research efforts need to be encouraged to evaluate the effects of these human disruptions on the ecology of the Landscape.

 

Keywords: Basidiomycetous fungi, forest ecosystems, Mt. Palaypalay, Luzon Island, Philippines