Seasonal hypogeous sporocarp production in a western Oregon Douglas-fir stand

Abstract

Hypogeous fungal sporocarps were collected over 32 months in a 35- to 50-year-old Douglas-fir stand in western Oregon. Production of the 9 ascomycete and 21 basidiomycete species collected during the study was dominated by a few species, Gautieria monticola, Hysterangium crassum, H. coriaceum, and Melanogaster sp.nov., each accounting for 5% or more of total annual dry weight. Estimates of annual productivity ranged from 2.0 to 3.2 or 22.0 to 35.4 kg dry weight/ha, depending on the method of calculation. Peaks in production were generally attributable to one or two species. Pronounced seasonal trends in production were not evident, although standing crops decreased in winter. The annual fruiting period of species varied from 3 to 11 months.