Wood-Inhabiting Fungi of Barro Colorado

Fungi, primarily in the phylum Basidiomycota, are a principal driver of terrestrial wood decomposition. Despite considerable research on dead wood and decomposition in the Barro Colorado Nature Monument, relatively few studies have explored the composition of wood-inhabiting fungal communities. In total, 76 fungal taxa have been identified from fruiting bodies collected from fallen trees in the Barro Colorado Island Forest Dynamics Plot. Although wood decay fungi are generally considered to be host generalists, sampling in the plot has revealed that common host tree species harbor distinct communities and that common hosts support greater fungal diversity than rare ones. As yet, application of environmental sequencing has been limited to a narrow range of wood substrates. Future application of this approach in the Forest Dynamics Plot is needed to provide more robust assessments of host affiliations and to link fungal community composition to wood decay processes.