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| In September 2011, an international team of cryptogam experts visited seven national nature reserves in five mountain areas of Slovakia: Havešová and Stužica in the Poloniny Mts., Vihorlat in the
Vihorlatské vrchyMts., Oblík in the Slanské vrchyMts., Dobrocský prales and Klenovský Vepor in the
Veporské vrchy Mts. And Badínsky prales in the Kremnické vrchy Mts. The reserves were selected to
represent examples of the best protected old-growth beech forests in the country. The aim was to
study the diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi on fallen beech logs and epiphytic lichens on standing
beech trees. In total, 215 fungal species and 128 lichens were recorded on beech wood and bark, and
27 fungi and 26 lichens on additional substrates. The site of the highest conservation value is Stužica
with 126 fungi and 79 lichens recorded on beech, of which 12 fungi and 19 lichens are indicators of
high nature conservation value. Combined with historical records, a total of 19 non-lichenised fungal
indicators are now reported from the site, making it the highest ranked natural beech forest in Europe.
The second most important reserve for fungal diversity is Havešová with 121 species, including
14 indicator species recorded on beech wood. For lichens, the second most important reserve is
Klenovský Vepor with 69 species including 18 lichen indicators recorded on beech. Nine fungus species are here reported as new to Slovakia: Asterostroma medium, Entoloma hispidulum,
E. pseudoparasiticum, Gloeohypochnicium analogum, Hohenbuehelia valesiaca, Hymenochaete
ulmicola, Hypocrea parmastoi, Melanomma spiniferum and Scutellinia colensoi. Lichen species
Alyxoria ochrocheila is reported as new to Slovakia and Lecanographa amylacea, which was considered
extinct in the Slovak Red list, was also recorded. This is the first list of wood-inhabiting fungi
and epiphytic lichens of old-growth beech forests in Slovakia, and hence an important contribution
to the exploration of biodiversity in Slovakia. | |
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