Controls on myxomycete species and species assemblages
Peter Wellman
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
17 Warragamba Avenue, Duffy, ACT 2611, Australia. Email: wellmanp@iinet.net.au
Australian Journal of Botany - https://doi.org/10.1071/BT20118
Submitted: 11 September 2020 Accepted: 30 November 2020 Published online: 22 January 2021
Journal Compilation © CSIRO 2021 Open Access CC BY
Abstract
This paper uses data from previous worldwide myxomycete surveys to determine the controls on the occurrence of myxomycete species, and on species assemblages. The main findings are as follows. The effect of substrate pH can be modelled, in that each species has a preferred pH value relative to the mean of a survey; errors from the model are 0.2 pH units. The substrate physical properties, evaluated by subjective hardness, showed no correlation with pH measurements. Hence, myxomycete species seem to have distinct ecological niches in substrate, with preferred pH and preferred physical properties. Comparison of the species found from the liana stem substrate shows that the species association does not change within angiosperm forests. Further, the species association is the same as that found in other angiosperm litter substrates: twigs on trees or on the ground, and leaves. This and a previous finding are consistent with similar ecological environments around the world having the same myxomycete species association within sampling error. In mixed angiosperm forests around the world the pH of un-decayed wood is ~4.9, and for decayed wood and tree litter is ~6.5 in tropical latitudes, and ~5.5 at 35° latitude, so on decaying the change in pH varies with latitude.
Keywords: acidity, latitude, myxomycete, pH, plasmodial slime mould, species assemblages.
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